Book 1: Keeper's Keep
by xTonyaJacex
Summary: Peter had a lot of secrets. She just happened to be their Keeper. [PeterFriendship] [ExtremeSlowBurn] [DerekxOC] [Re-written Version of Keeper's Keep] [Go to profile to read Original Version]
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: First Meetings.**

She tried her best to ignore the bitterness that welled in her throat. Despite how often she looked, there was no sign of who she waited for. She could feel the gaze of the ticket worker but refused to acknowledge it. In a desperate bid, she juggled the drinks and snacks in her hold so she could reach for her phone.

 **Sent to: Beth**

 **6:45 pm:** _Where are you?_

 **6:50 pm:** _The movie is soon to start!_

 **7:00 pm:** _Dammit Beth. I better be wrong about why you're late._

 **7:05 pm:** _Fine._

 **7:10 pm:** _I hope he was worth the fuck._

Out of frustration she shoved her phone back into her pocket. She marched her way to the nearest bin and dumped the second drink in her hand. Following that she took the second movie ticket and threw it away too. It did little to improve her mood, but it gave her a small measure of satisfaction. She was tempted to leave and go home right then and there. Though to do so would mean she just wasted a good amount of money for nothing. She chewed on her straw and roughly presented her ticket.

"Got stood up huh?" the worker sympathized.

She only grunted in reply and juggled her snacks for a better hold.

"Don't worry about it man. There's plenty of fish in the sea."

She hummed in response and snatched the clipped ticket from his hands. If it were any other day, one where she wasn't in a foul mood, she would have laughed. She probably would have corrected him on what happened. Maybe, she would have even felt flattered that he'd assumed her to be on a date. In a way it was a compliment; the fact he assumed she had enough of a social life to even get a date. Today was not one of those days and she did not do any of that. All thanks to stupid Beth who had begged and pleaded but didn't even show.

When she looked about for a seat, her mood had grown even heavier. Just thinking about her supposed friend and why she'd not shown up pissed her off. It was probably why she was drawn to him. Despite the crowded room and collective pairing of couples, he sat alone. He wore a glare so fierce, she's pretty sure King Kong would turn tail and run. In a room full of bubbly pink pheromones of love and affection, he was a black hole of gloom. Everyone went out of their way to avoid going anywhere near him. As such the entire back row of seats were empty save for him.

He looked exactly how she felt.

With that in mind she marched her way to sit. As if sensing her intentions, his glare turned towards her and seemed to increase its intensity. On a small scale she found their green shade distracting and if she'd been in a better mood she might have complimented them. Instead she met his glare face on and pointedly parked her butt into the seat beside him.

"Hope you don't mind."

He said nothing for a few more seconds. It was a battle of wills and she was by no means going to back down. Soon enough he dismissed her, turned his face forward and ignored her. She couldn't help but grin a little at the small victory.

She didn't mind being ignored. It gave her time to observe him without care. He was wide shouldered, something the leather jacket he wore only emphasized. The beard on his cheeks looked rough and gave him a rather feral persona. He was unfairly attractive, probably the wet dream fantasy of many women.

She stuffed a handful of popcorn into her mouth, chewing noisily. She saw how his eye twitched and it made her grin. Perhaps the night wouldn't be as bad as she originally thought.

 **(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)**

There were many other things Derek could have been doing. He could have been at home; He could be training; He could even be out patrolling or on a run. Instead, he's wasting a precious Friday babysitting the pack's baby beta. If Scott wasn't the Alpha, Derek would have happily shown the teen all the ways he wanted to say no.

"Popcorn?"

Derek tensed his jaw and mentally counted to ten. He turned his most intimidating glare on his unwanted seat partner. The stranger had the audacity to shrug and simply go back to noisily eating. He blamed Stiles. All of this was Stiles fault. It didn't matter that the jittery teen had to babysit Malia for the full moon. Derek was stuck here, suffering through the baby beta's date as his hidden chaperone; all because Stiles couldn't handle both the baby wolf and his coyote girlfriend. The baby beta had been fine through the last four full moons; just because he was nervous about his date didn't mean he needed Derek.

Derek looked over to where Liam and his date were seated. He saw no signs of a shift which only furthered his irritated mood. The two teens looked like every other hormonal teenage couple on a date. It only made Derek feel even more like a creeper. He seriously needed to start hanging out with more adults than teenagers. A hard thing to do when his pack was filled with them.

Again, his unwanted seat mate distracted him. This time he was wiggling about relentlessly. It was too dark for Derek to properly discern any of the guy's features. Other than the baggy clothes and worn baseball cap, he looked like every other teen. Although Derek got the feeling the guy was out of high school. It was the way he looked at the other teens in the room; as if they were children. Unable to take the constant shuffling any longer, Derek glared fiercely and growled out a low 'stop' through his teeth.

For a second it seemed to have worked, but then he started to bounce his leg. Derek snarled and gripped his leg tightly to make it stop. Only by the light of the large screen was Derek able to see the sheepish grin the stranger gave.

"Ugh, I'm sorry alright. It's just….. This movie is so shit I'm on the verge of throwing up in my mouth."

Derek stares hoping he'll get the hint and see Derek's not at all interested. Instead, he mistakes it as an invitation for conversation and twists to be more comfortable.

It really wasn't an invite.

"We all get it, alright. In every Romance movie you get a guy and a girl. They meet fall in love, go through some rough patches, and then they sort their shit out; confess their love and ride off and get hitched," The stranger flopped back into his chair and huffed.

"I hate movies like these. They're predictable and pointless. It really pisses me off you know? Even worse is watching horny teens enjoy it as well."

Derek really didn't ask.

It doesn't end there, by the time the movies halfway through, his seat mate is still talking. Reluctantly, Derek is slowly coming to learn more about the stranger. He hates romantic films; the idea of romance; couples and their PDA. He doesn't believe in happy endings and above all else; he hates friends who threaten friends to see movies with them only to ditch them for a cheating ex. Then he switched to thoroughly dissing the film on screen. He criticized the filming calling it crappy and amateur; insulting the horrid acting and shallow portrayal of the characters. Derek had been unwillingly shown five mistakes that showed crappy editing.

By the time the film reached its most climatic part, Derek was completely unaffected by any of the 'movie magic' cast. He marvels at the fact he hasn't marched right out of the place and called it quits. In an odd way his seat mate's rants were kind of funny. He looked over to check on Liam like he'd been doing occasionally and saw no change. Derek realized it wasn't really as horrid a time as he thought and figured he might as well keep listening to the rants of his strange seat neighbor.

It took him awhile to realize the stranger was much too quiet. He looked over and noticed he was staring at a couple one row in front. Derek tries to figure out why they've caught his attention but gives up after a few seconds. He was pretty sure the guy didn't know them; and it's that curiosity that prompts him to ask what he's staring at. The stranger frowns and stuffs a bit more popcorn in his mouth.

"That guy…. He has no idea what's waiting him."

Derek only raised his brows and waited for a little more elaboration.

"While they look totally smitten and bound to get hitched, after tonight that won't be the case."

"How can you tell?" Derek grunted out of curiosity, though he'd never admit it.

His seat mate takes a long sip of his drink and frowns with disgust.

"I stood behind them in the snack cue. The guy is cheating and has a girl on the side. He's been playing her off as his mom texting the whole night. He's also not that subtle with his ogling of anything in a skirt. The jokes on him though cause the girl totally knows. She's planning some major vengeance, overheard her telling her sister in the bathroom."

He doesn't stop there. He starts to point out various people in the theater and explaining their lively hoods. At first Derek thought it entertaining, but then he tells Derek just how he's so sure. The more he talks the more Derek begins to understand and believe him. The couple to the left four rows down were happily married; obvious by the way they touched and minor other gestures. The 20 something year old in row three was going to propose to his girlfriend.

There were others but Derek was growing tense with each person explained. The stranger beside him knew too much, was too sure and informed. Derek attempted to scent the stranger and only managed to register a confusing mix of smells. Sooner than he expected the credits are rolling and he still had nothing. Out of frustration and mild paranoia, Derek jumps out of his seat and looks for Liam and his date. He only relaxes once he spots them.

"Oof! Geez dude where the fire?"

Derek tensed at the word 'fire' but shook it off just as quick. He looked down at the sprawled form of his seat mate. He'd startled him with his abrupt standing and caused him to fall. It was the only reason he offered assistance.

"You need help?"

"Nah. I'm good, just knocked my hat off. Could you get it for me?"

Derek grunted and rolled his eyes but bent to grab the hat anyway.

"Thanks mate."

When he turned to pass it over, the green eyed wolf simply froze. Before, it had been too dark to really make out any elaborate features. Which is why Derek assumed it was a rather feminine male sitting beside him. How was he to know it was in fact a woman when she was wearing baggy male clothes? Thank god he never addressed her out loud.

As she reached for her hat, her attention was occupied elsewhere. Which meant she didn't catch Derek blankly marveling at her. She was not as young as he originally thought, in fact she was maybe just a year or two younger than him. The doe eyed shape of her eyes only brought more attention to its brilliant honey brown color. Derek was reminded of the warm summer season; she was pale but a milk cream shade that looked rather soft. Along with her hair, a dark rich brown that unfurled in curls and waves; Derek couldn't figure out how he couldn't have smelled her gender.

He was brought out of his thoughts when she spoke, sounding rather hesitant.

"I know it's not any of my business. I've annoyed you enough for the night as it is but….."

Derek followed her gaze and tensed when he realized she was looking at Liam and his date.

"He looks like a nice kid. I'm not gonna try and guess how you know him, but it's obvious you care. Despite the mafia mobster vibe you're giving off."

Derek chose to ignore that last bit. The strange girl suddenly seemed serious when she next spoke.

"The girl he's with is hiding something. Be wary of her."

Derek looked at Liam's date and tried to see what she saw. He didn't know much about how Liam met her, or even who she was. At most he thought she was a strange mix of Lydia and Allison. A feisty attitude and fashion sense similar to Lydia but a Disney persona like Allison. If he thought about it, that just might be why Scott was okay with Liam going on this date. Derek sincerely hoped this wasn't a sign of history repeating itself.

"She smiles too much; her fingers twitch every time he touches her. When he's not looking her eyes turn cold. During the movie she constantly turned her head to survey the room. She's keeping him at a distance and her laugh is a tad too light to be real."

Derek now looked at the strange girl at his side. More than ever did he want to know why she would tell him such things?

"She doesn't actually like your boy and is probably using him for something," the strange girl concluded.

"You expect me to believe you?" he scoffed with an arched brow.

She gave him an amused smirk and huffed out a light laugh.

"Call it what you want; a favor; an apology for spoiling your night. I just thought you'd like to know. A good kid like that shouldn't know what the pain of broken heart feels like."

She stuffed her hair under her cap and put it on. The difference was jarring and Derek could understand why he assumed she was male. The baggy clothes made her look small and lean, the hat hid her hair and hid just how feminine her features were. She winked with a teasing smirk on her plump lips and Derek impulsively spoke.

"You never told me your name."

She continued to walk pass him, and he thought she wouldn't answer. Before completely leaving she lifted a hand and carelessly waved.

"If we ever meet again Green Eyes I'll be sure to leave a number in addition."

Just like that she was gone and Derek was alone. He left the theater and searched for Liam and his date. When he found them, he couldn't forget the warning the stranger had given. He shouldn't trust her, there was no reason he should; but he couldn't just ignore it either. Now that she'd pointed it out, Liam's date did seem suspicious.

After everything he and the pack had gone through, he wouldn't be taking any risks.

When he met up with Scott he mentioned how suspicious he found Liam's date. Scott assured him he'd keep an eye on Liam just in case. Derek was just glad he'd manged to only get Scott and not his attached limb. Stiles was the more paranoid half of the duo. The human teen would have demanded every detail of the night which would have meant sharing about his unwanted seatmate. Scott trusted Derek and if he was uneasy, the Alpha would trust it was for good reason.

Why Derek wanted to keep her a secret, he couldn't say. He doubted they would ever meet again and there was no use in dwelling on it. Derek pushed the encounter to the back of his mind and forgot about it for the time being.

 **(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)**

 **[4 weeks later]**

Elizabeth Murdock walked into her kitchen and slammed the connecting door behind her. She stared intensely at the seemingly at ease figure eating at the table. The two girls had been friends for five years and had met at a coffee shop in Paris. It'd been two years since they last saw each other and one year since Beth had moved to Beacon Hills. Fortunately, she lived on the outskirts of town and hadn't been too affected by the animal attacks and killings…. So far at least.

When she heard her friend had plans to visit the town, Beth had eagerly suggested they stay together.

"Are you serious Raiya!?" Beth huffed with annoyance.

Araiya ignored her and continued to spoon porridge into her mouth.

"Rai! Rai, you can't just keep ignoring me!"

The following silence was broken only by the clinking of Araiya's spoon. The two girls had been at odds since Beth stood Araiya up at the movies four weeks ago. Some may consider Araiya's response harsh and an overreaction. Though Araiya strongly disagreed and considered her actions justified. True to her predictions, Beth had ditched her to fuck around with her cheating ex.

"Rai look," Beth sighed before moving to stand directly in front of the other girl.

"I know you don't like Ryan and me getting back together. I get it! But can't you understand and just be happy for me? I love him Rai!" Beth felt something in her head twinge at the admission but brushed it off.

Araiya finally looked up from her bowl and stared at her. The truth is, Araiya couldn't understand and she couldn't be happy for Beth. Not when she had spent hours listening to her cry. Not when she wasted so much effort in trying to help Beth get over the cheating ass. She was disappointed that Beth had so easily caved to the dick head all because he drunkenly begged for a second chance.

"He's an ass Beth," Araiya finally said and Beth clung to her response.

"He made a mistake!"

"I spelled asshole wrong on my spelling test in 6th grade and received an F; because of that I learned a very important lesson; there's no W in Asshole. You see Beth? Despite being spelled wrong Asshole with a w still sounds like Asshole!"

"He learnt his lesson."

Araiya scoffed and rolled her eyes. She stood and went to wash her dish. Beth trailed after her, desperate for Araiya to understand.

"Araiya, you'll always be my best friend but I love him! I love him so much and I can't- I can't give up on us."

Araiya stood stiffly by the sink. She could hear the desperation in Beth's tone but there was a twinge of guilt laced beneath her words. Beth took the silence as a sign to keep talking.

"He asked me to marry him."

The following silence was heavy with tension and Araiya said nothing. Beth hoped that by mentioning that, Araiya would understand just how serious she was about Ryan. Araiya simply said nothing and expressed nothing on her face. She was a blank mask and Beth forced herself to speak.

"We're planning a trip to Vegas for a couple weeks to sort things out. Then we planned to have both the wedding and the honeymoon there. I wanted you to be there with me as my maid of honor."

Araiya scoffed and then slowly she started to laugh with disbelief. Beth felt her heart drop to her stomach with dread. She was foolish to think such news would make Araiya think better of Ryan and her.

"Vegas? Are you shitting me Beth? People don't go to Vegas to sort out their couple issues; they get couple therapy or take a fucking break from each other. Vegas is where strangers get hitched, the rich gamble and all kinds of other crap. My _PARENTS_ got married in Vegas."

Araiya wasn't usually one to get emotional. Beth had never seen her friend react so fiercely before. Araiya was angry, she could feel the emotion bubbling in her gut, urging her to rage. She wanted to find Ryan and threaten him the fuck away from Beth. She wanted to scream at Beth until she started making sense again. She didn't do any of that; instead she focused on her breathing and swallowed the emotion down till she near choked on the feeling.

"I love him Rai. I love Ryan. I love him so much," Beth whispered.

Beth felt the sensation of prickling needles at the base of her neck. At saying the word 'love' her head ached and throbbed. Despite that she never let her gaze fall from Araiya's piercing stare. Ryan had warned her Araiya would act like this. He told her she would do this. The more she thought of Ryan all that he said, the faster her tears gathered in her eyes.

At the sight of her tears, Araiya came to a decision. She took a deep breath and blankly stared at the woman she called friend for five years.

"I can't watch you make the greatest mistake of your life."

Beth felt her breath catch and her gathered tears finally fell.

"Araiya… please," she begged.

"He's going to hurt you. He'll make you cry and break your heart over and over again. You'll forgive him each time and willingly walk into his arms when he apologies. One day he'll do something you just can't forgive and you'll finally try to walk away."

Beth could picture it all so clearly; everything Araiya said painted itself across her mind in vivid colour. Araiya softened her voice and spoke so lowly that if it weren't so quiet Beth might not have heard.

"You'll look around and see the white picket fence; the four children and the happy neighbors all around you. You'll look around and you'll hate it all; and realize you can't walk away from it. Not anymore. Not when you've given so much already to him. You'll look around and then- then you'll stay….because once you loved him… and he killed the girl you used to be. You'll stay and let him kill you over and over again until one day it sticks."

Araiya felt her throat choke and her tongue shrivel at the words she spoke. She could barely stomach the disgust she felt. This time she made a plea of her own, hoping the Elizabeth she knew would answer. Elizabeth Murdock was not a woman who would bend over for a man. The Elizabeth she befriended was stronger than this.

"You're better than that Beth."

There was a beat of silence between the two. Araiya held her breath and hoped to hear the words she wanted. When Beth finally spoke it was with an obvious croak and a shuddering rasp through her tears.

"I love him Raiya."

Araiya swallowed down the hurt and defeat she felt. She ensured she gave no indication of her thoughts or feelings. She felt her heart ache and couldn't bear to be in Beth's presence anymore. The air between them felt suffocating and Araiya felt as if she couldn't breathe.

"I'll be gone in the morning."

Araiya straightened and didn't falter as she left. She didn't look back. She didn't hover. She walked straight for her room and started to pack. She'd be gone in two hours, leaving only a white rose and envelope of cash behind. She had no regrets….. At least that's what she'll tell herself.

Beth watched Araiya leave in silence. She hoped she'd spare a glance back. She yearned for Araiya to come back and hold her. She clung to the desperate _hope_ that Araiya didn't mean what she said. The truth was, Beth knew Araiya so well. She knew that Araiya had been broken by something before they met. She knew that Araiya hadn't lied.

Elizabeth Murdock forced herself to take that one step forward. She felt a piercing sensation at the base of her neck; felt the prickling of ants crawling on the flesh of her brain; the invasion of something wicked whispering in her mind. She felt her throat itch with the need to scream in throat strained horror.

Beth stood in the kitchen alone in silence, even when the front door shut with an audible click.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Meet the Sheriff.**

Stiles blamed Liam.

This was all without a doubt Liam's fault.

He wanted it to be clear just in case his luck had run out and tonight he actually died.

"Would you stop that?! You're making me nauseous!" Lydia snapped.

The two teenagers were waiting in Stiles jeep keeping watch for the agreed signal and the rest of their friends. They were both feeling nervous, but one wouldn't be able to tell unless they knew them. After all they'd dealt with; Werewolves; Hunters; Nogitsunes; A Dead pool; Surely a teenage witch after their Alpha's heart should not be as frightening.

How was Liam supposed to know his latest love interest was a psycho witch?

How were they to know the heart of a True Alpha- if properly harvested- could resurrect a dead wendigo?

The plan was simple, Stiles and Lydia would be in wait to trap the witch. Meanwhile, Scott, Derek and Liam would bait her into position. They totally had everything under control. Deaton gave them a magic rune and everything. When they activated the rune, the witch shouldn't be able to escape or use her powers.

"I'm sorry, but the fact there is a literal crazy witch after my best friend's _heart_ \- and not in the romantic sense- has me too worried to sit still and be pretty!" Stiles snapped.

Lydia glared at him and the frustration he felt quailed under its intensity. Stiles had been feeling anxious for the past seven weeks and it was starting to get out of hand. He couldn't figure out what had him so on edge.

When Derek and Scott finally shared their suspicions about Liam's sorta-kinda-not girlfriend, Stiles had been rightly peeved. How could they NOT tell him!? How could SCOTT not tell him!? Derek, he could understand, the creeper wolf had way too many trust issues to expect otherwise; but Scott?

Stiles hoped this was the reason for his increased anxiety and nerves.

"God, what is with you? You've been weird for weeks now!" Lydia huffed.

Stiles groaned and gripped at his hair. She was right and he'd not at all been subtle about the restless tension he felt. The fact his ADHD only doubled his nerves made him a torment to be around for too long.

"Gaah! I don't know ok! I've just been feeling like something big is in the mix. As in Joker is soon to be attacking Gotham big! I haven't been able to properly focus for weeks and its starting to tick me off!" in frustration he smacked his hand hard on the wheel. Lydia watched him with concern at seeing just how twitchy he was.

"Stiles why didn't you say something?"

He looked at her and immediately knew what she was thinking. It was why he didn't say anything. He could feel his jaw tensing and tried to ignore the rising irritation he felt climbing to the surface. It wasn't the Nogitsune, he was 100 % certain of it. He wasn't suffering black outs and Malia would have told him if he went wandering about town. After Eichen house, only she and Lydia would probably be able to tell the difference.

This was something else, something completely different than an evil fox spirit.

Just as Lydia opened her mouth to speak, he spotted the others arrive.

"They're ready," he quickly said.

He ignored the way Lydia glared at him, silently promising the conversation was not over. They got out of the jeep and hid among the trees waiting for their moment.

After a successful trap, they started to interrogate the witch. It didn't take long for her to start telling her sob story and how she hated werewolves. The more she talked the more Stiles saw how Scott started to doubt their choice to get rid of her. Even though she was promising to kill them all when she got free, Scott obviously felt bad for her and was sure she just needed a chance. Stiles had no such sympathy or faith the witch before them would change.

Scott took a step forward and had the most sympathetic expression. The witch briefly stopped writhing and watched him intently.

"I'm sorry you lost him. I know how it feels to lose someone you love…."

Stiles was so glad Kira couldn't make it tonight. Allison's loss was a burden he'd always carry with him. There wasn't a day that passed where her death didn't haunt them.

"…but this? This isn't the way to heal and fix things. He'll come back but he won't be the way he was before."

She really did look like she was listening. When Scott took another step closer, it was Lydia who alerted them; but it was Derek who pulled Scott back to safety. The blade missed Scott's throat by mere inches.

Stiles didn't hesitate.

So what if he took the decision out of Scott's hands?

Stiles immediately started to chant, reciting an ancient old ritual that summoned a void of nothing. He didn't care at all when the witch began to cuss and scream as the void sucked her into its depths. He didn't stop when Scott cried his name and asked him to wait. He especially didn't care about the warning Deaton had given him about the origins of the ritual he was doing. When the witch was gone and the void had disappeared; Stiles and his friends were still alive. It was all he cared about.

"Why did you do that!? I could have changed her mind," Scott growled with despair.

Stiles didn't say anything but Derek spoke up in his defense.

"She tried to kill you Scott."

Stiles stayed quiet and once again someone else spoke.

"It doesn't matter, she's gone. Stiles, drive me home. Now." Lydia abruptly ordered before turning and walking away.

When he did speak, it was more out of obligation than actual want. He looked to Scott and gave a shrug of his shoulder, ignoring the way he looked at him.

"You want a ride?" he offered.

Scott shook his head and Stiles didn't hover. He followed after Lydia and left. Derek doubled back to go get Liam, the baby beta had gotten injured. He'd stayed behind and out of the way, Derek decided to make sure the kid healed up properly. If it meant leaving Scott alone, that was just a simple coincidence. Scott found himself alone in the woods lost to dark thoughts and regrets.

They'd changed.

None of them were the same and it was becoming harder to pretend.

The four of them had gained and lost so much in the past year. They should have expected it, but they didn't want to acknowledge it. Perhaps, it was for that reason fate decided to interfere and force them to face a long buried truth.

 **(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)**

There wasn't much Deputy Jordan Parrish couldn't handle. He'd survived the military and just recently a supernatural dead pool. In his humble opinion he considered himself a pretty easy going guy. He loved his job- despite the unexpected reveal of the supernatural world and his own role in it- he was also coming to love Beacon Hills. It felt like home, more so than where he grew up. Despite such thoughts, he should have known better to expect nothing exciting at the station.

Nothing normal ever really happened in Beacon Hills.

"…All I'm saying is that when a dude walks in asking to see the sheriff, try telling them he's busy with a smile!"

Parrish quickly studied the stranger currently causing a scene. The most notable thing was the over sized clothing; ripped denim jeans and a black guns and rose's band tee. Beneath the shirt, they wore a grey long sleeve and black wool finger less gloves. The black beanie on their head covered most of their hair, but Parrish could see enough to call it a dark brown.

He stepped closer when he saw the visible annoyance on his co-worker's face.

"I'm sorry but the sheriff is not available for visitors at this time," Holly tensely spoke.

"Is it important?" the stranger questions.

"Of cour-"

"As the sheriff, shouldn't his priorities be the safety and trust of those who he has sworn to protect?"

"Yes, but-"

"As a fellow resident here in Beacon Hills; I'm getting the impression you're implying the sheriff has more important things to do than to listen to what I have to say. An unfair assumption for you to make, seeing as I haven't even told you what I have to say."

Holly scrambled to defend her previous words, growing flustered with the line of conversation.

"I'm sure what you have to say is important, but he is unavailable. If it really is a prime priority another officer would gladly offer you their assistance."

The stranger stood taller and folded their arms.

"I'm looking for Sheriff Stilinski and only him. He's the best of the best and we got business to talk."

Initially, Parrish would have called them rude, but he'd seen how Holly tended to deal with people. The way the stranger had dressed told him she'd probably been rude when they'd approached her. She should just be glad the stranger wasn't yelling, just speaking in a stubbornly reasonable tone. If occasionally it sounded judgmental and unimpressed, Parrish couldn't blame them. Still, Holly was his co-worker and the station had a reputation to protect. He'd make sure to mention this to Sheriff Stilinski and hope he'd deal with Holly.

"Is there a problem here?" he asked.

He ignored the visible relief Holly's face expressed and focused on the visitor. He was only mildly surprised to find that the stranger was female. She eyed him shortly before scoffing and looking annoyed.

"Depends, are you anymore competent than Miss Judgement over there?"

Parrish ignored the pointed jab and assured Holly he'd deal with it. He pulled the woman to the side, mostly as a precaution in case she started to shout. He cleared his throat, and placed his hand over the note book and pen they readily carried as part of their uniform.

"How can I help you mam?"

She gave a scoff at his use of mam, but didn't react rudely like she'd done to Holly.

"I need to see the Sheriff."

"Sheriff Stilinski has yet to arrive, but if it is indeed urgent, I offer all the help I can give."

Parrish only started to regret his choice of words, when he spotted the twitch of her lips. He felt uneasy and by the glint of the woman's honey brown eyes, he deeply wished he'd just left her for Holly to deal with. Regardless it was too late, and all he could do was suffer.

 **(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)**

Sheriff Stilinski was a lot of things; a widowed husband, a single father, and the Sheriff of Beacon Hills. He loved his wife- will always love her; He loved his son- even if majority of the time he drove him insane and worried him to near death; He loved his town- despite the recent crazy of supernatural things and the lack of trust they've started to have for him.

Despite how much he loved his life, he would be the first to admit that it was simply too much at times. Beacon Hills was once that little town where the biggest threat was dealing with vandalizing teen punks and the occasional speeding ticket. Now, he spent late nights combing over cases revolving around murder, missing suspects and unsolved cases that undoubtedly were caused by supernatural means. The worst part, was acknowledging the fact his kid was right in the center of all that crazy.

All those nights he thought Stiles was safe at home, he'd actually been out and about with everything that went bump in the night. Things like Werewolves, Giant Lizards, Hunters and a **_fucking_** evil fox spirit. How the hell was he supposed to protect his boy when Stiles kept charging towards the crazy without a single care about his own safety?

He took several greedy breaths and tried to calm himself down from another panic attack. He felt wrung out and tired, too old and way in over his head. After another few gulps, he pushed himself to get out of the car. He couldn't afford to let himself be dragged down, not when he's got a job to do and a kid to protect.

When he entered the station, seeing a flustered Deputy Parrish and the watching eyes of many officers was not what he expected.

"…and that's why I don't like anyone calling me mam. Don't get me wrong pretty boy, the captain America vibe you project is a real turn on. I'm sure a lot of women would totally agree to a quick fu-"

He hid his grin and pointedly cleared his throat, enjoying the way his officers jumped with surprise. Out of all of them, his deputy looked the most relieved, while the woman causing all the excitement seemed to pout.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, not bothering to hide the mirth he felt.

"This woman has been meaning to see you Sheriff," Parrish hastily informed by pointing at the woman.

The woman in question huffed and batted away Parrish's pointed finger.

"It's rude to point Pretty Boy."

He had to laugh at that, since all the murders and such, the station hadn't received a lot of visitors. In fact, more than half the officers in hire were fresh faced newbies or transfers. Beacon Hill's police force had greatly decreased in the past year, and he hated to remember why. He focused back on the present and quirked a brow of interest.

"Sheriff Stilinski, how can I be of service?"

The woman smirked and strolled forward with mischief in her eyes that seemed familiar. It wasn't till her smirk turned into an impish smile, that he realized just who she was.

"Ngaw, come on chief. Don't tell me you've forgotten your favorite criminal? It took a lot of effort, and a couple more years than expected, but I'm finally a free agent. What better way to celebrate than come on down and visit my favorite moral compass?"

He remembered that face and those eyes. It'd been years and at first glance he hadn't recognized her. Now, he could easily place those familiar honey brown eyes filled with mischief and trouble. She was older, no longer a child but a woman grown. He couldn't ever forget her, not when she'd once been a major presence in his life.

"Araiya Black, my own personal headache," he drawled with a smile.

She didn't hesitate to laugh at his words before drawing close for an embrace. She wasn't any taller than before, but he was glad she no longer seemed as scrawny. She mumbled into his uniform as if she knew just what he was thinking.

"Don't lie chief, I was the best headache you ever had."

He'd missed her, it really had been too long. He didn't know how much till she literally walked right back into his life. He could feel the curious and strange looks from his fellow officers. There were exactly five people among them who had the faintest clue as to who she was. He couldn't blame the rest for being curious, they didn't understand who she was. He wasn't worried, certain it would only take a few weeks before the word would spread.

A Black was back in Beacon Hills, and that was big news.

It was maybe exactly what Beacon Hills needed amidst all the recent chaos.

He could only hope Araiya brought with her more good luck than bad.

 **(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)**

She missed him. It really had been too long since she'd seen him. He felt the same only older and worn down. She hadn't been in Beacon Hill's for so long, the town felt like a stranger to her. Only he felt familiar and so she savored the feeling without shame. Araiya felt her beanie fall from her head and her hair spill out in all its glory. She felt him laughing before he tugged at one of her locks, after which she reluctantly pulled away.

"Never thought I'd see the day you'd grow out your hair," he teased.

Araiya stuck out her tongue playfully before smirking. It really felt like old times and she felt nostalgic just thinking about it. He told their watching audience to get back to work and motioned for her to follow him. While he closed the door to his office, she quickly marveled at the room. She'd always thought he'd make a better Sheriff than Deputy, she's glad to find she was right.

"So, what brings you back here? Not that I don't trust you, just that I doubt it was solely out of some sudden need to see me," he inquired lightly.

She let him settle into his seat as she tried to figure out where to begin. She had no idea how to start, no idea what to say or even how she would begin to explain. Already she could feel her control slipping and threatening to overwhelm her.

"Araiya?" the Sheriff softly prompted.

"How'd they find her, chief?" she managed to croak.

He immediately knew what she was referring to; for a brief moment she saw anger in his eyes. It faded as slowly he realized just why she was asking. When he spoke, it was with caution, wary hesitance at sounding like he was accusing her.

"You didn't know?"

She swallowed at the words and only shook her head.

None of them knew, if they did she would have come sooner. If any of them had known someone would have come immediately to ensure the proper arrangements were conducted. Beacon Hills was much too important to simply leave abandoned without maintenance. The Black's had a long history with the town; to the point one might as well call them a founding family. Up until a year ago, there was always a Black in Beacon Hills. Sheriff Stilinski sighed and slowly started to speak. He knew how important Augusta Black was to the woman before him. Araiya listened and struggled to hold back the pathetic sob in her throat.

The Black family was large, and they spanned throughout many countries. However, the Main blood line could easily be traced to a collective few; specifically through the children of William Black and Maria Faenza nee Black. Augusta was William's younger sister and Araiya's great aunt. The Blacks were old and hoarded many secrets, secrets that often ended with death. It was why Augusta's death was so suspicious.

Augusta Black died on the night of the New Year for 2011.

She shouldn't have died without at least one of them knowing.

It's no coincidence that since her death the crime and death rates of the town's population had increased. It was because of that vast increase, the Black family had been made aware. It took a phone call from the current head of the family and a mass group skype call, before Araiya had been on a plane with orders to investigate. The death of a Black member from the main bloodline was not something to be ignored.

"…we tried to contact relatives, but no calls got through. The address book she had in her car was out of date. At the time we weren't sure if anyone was getting the emails or letters that were sent."

A minor stroke while driving before succumbing to a heart attack in hospital four weeks later.

Augusta Black may have been old, but she was a fighter. She wouldn't have lost to a heart attack. Araiya knew her great aunt, had lived with her for two years and knew her best out of everyone. She could feel her grief morphing into that of anger. The taste of it hot on her tongue and heavy in her chest. It called for blood and violence, pushed the thought to the forefront of her brain. It blinded her and taunted her into a furious rage.

"What happened to her body?" she gritted out, while her nails dug deeply into the arms of her chair.

"We buried her over at the local cemetery."

"Was she alone?"

The thought of her Aunt being alone hurt more than anything. Augusta Black may have been cast out from the family, but she was always loved. Araiya jolted when she felt the Sheriff place a comforting hand on her shoulder. She hadn't even noticed him move.

"No, she wasn't alone."

She relaxed at his words and curled closer to his side seeking comfort. She focused on his strong presence rather than the rage in her chest. She absently questioned him on what happened to her Aunt's things and belongings. He didn't move away from her side, just answered her questions with ease. She only fell silent at realizing just how little there was for her to handle. At seeing her surprise, Sheriff Stilinski snorted and gave her an unimpressed glare.

"Augusta wasn't just dear to you, kid," he huffed.

"You're too good to us chief," she teased with gratitude.

The rest of her visit consisted of talking about old memories. They remembered her Aunt Augusta and the antics of her younger self. They glossed over the fact Augusta's properties and will had yet to be attended to. Araiya vaguely shared a few bits about what she'd done since she'd left. She only frowned when she noted the stress Sheriff Stilinski spoke with about his recent cases. Soon, they both could no longer procrastinate in their responsibilities and with great reluctance, Araiya spoke up.

"It's been real good seeing you chief. I'd love to stay longer, but I'm pretty sure your pretty boy deputy is getting antsy waiting to meet with you."

Sheriff Stilinski only rolled his eyes at the tease. He watched as Araiya rose from her seat and started to straighten out her ridiculously over sized clothing. There always had to be something out of place when it came to her. He shouldn't have expected anything else. When he next spoke it was with fond exasperation and concern.

"You have a place to stay?"

"Duh, I'm not actually a hobo, contrary to what your desk officer assumed."

The Sheriff made a mental note to talk to Officer Holly about her conduct when treating with visitors. He then narrowed his eyes with suspicion, which only prompted Araiya to smile at him with innocence. He knew better than to trust a smile like that.

"No one's been able to find you're Aunt's mansion since she's passed. You know anything about that?"

Araiya's smile morphed into an impish grin.

"Aunt Augusta was paranoid chief, you know that. If it was a bitch to find the mansion back in the day, what on earth made you think it'd been easier to find now."

"Araiya," he sternly warned, feeling much like he was dealing with Stiles.

"It's not breaking and entering if you have a key!"

He let out a loud groan and Araiya let out a laugh.

"Get out of here kid. Now that your back, don't go causing too much trouble. I got enough cases on my plate and my own kid to worry about."

Araiya snickered and gave him one last hug. He squeezed her tight both to reassure her and let her know he's glad she's back. He mentioned that she should stop by for dinner and she snorted at his words before pulling away.

"We'll see about dinner," she mumbled.

Just before she left his office, she gave one last loud farewell.

"You're a saint chief! I'll be sure to only rob the bank on Monday's."

Araiya snickered as the office burst into whispers. She let her smile sit on her lips until she was safe from their gawking eyes. As soon as she was alone, the rage she'd felt came flooding back. She braced herself against her bike and fought to control herself. She had one last visit to make for the day before she started on things at her Aunt's mansion.

She had to hold out until then.

She clung to the thought as she hopped on her bike and rode to her next destination.

 **(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)**

After Araiya had left, he tried to make his way through the cases on his desk. It didn't stop him from over thinking everything he'd learned from her visit. He'd known the Black family since he'd been a teenager himself. He'd known Araiya as a 13 year old punk who hung out with the weirdest people. Augusta Black had been a feisty old woman, but Araiya had been a trouble magnet. The linchpin of all sorts of incidents and what followed. Regardless of all that, he considered the lot to be as good as family, even if they weren't blood related.

It'd been much too long since he'd seen a Black. While he'd missed Araiya, she wasn't the Black he expected to return. At seeing her now, older and no longer a child, he was even more aware of the similarities she inherited from **him**.

"Sheriff?"

He shook himself out of his thoughts and beckoned for Parrish to enter. The ease he'd felt completely disappeared at seeing Scott McCall follow after the deputy. Sheriff Stilinski felt dread build in his gut and prayed to god the teen hadn't come to report something supernatural.

"What are you doing here Scott?"

Scott awkwardly shuffled on his feet and tried no to look so guilty. He couldn't bear to meet the sheriff's pointed stare and mumbled his words out.

"So… erm, if a missing report comes in about a Cindy Stines. I think you should know that she was a witch and wanted to carve out my heart to resurrect her dead Wendigo boyfriend."

Sheriff Stilinski groaned feeling the beginning of a headache grow, while his Deputy gaped.

"You mean witches are real?" "Aren't you supposed to be in school?" they asked at the same time.

The sheriff prayed to the gods that soon everything would get easier, but more importantly, he prayed it would all go back to normal soon.

He should have known better than to get his hopes up.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Meeting Jefferson Morgan**

Jefferson Morgan stared at the world around him with tired eyes. Despite being 61 he felt years older; worn down and heavy. He never imagined his life to be so slow; not when his younger years had been spent with so much chaos. Above all else he never once thought he would outlive his dearest friend and mentor. At the mere thought of the deceased Lady Augusta, his heart gave a sharp twinge in grief. She had been his best friend and greatest client. She didn't deserve to go the way she did. Jeff had long learned that life is a cruel mistress and Death took whenever it fancied.

A harsh reality but an important truth.

"This town is simply not the same without you, my friend," he mumbled to the skies.

He lingered a little longer before deciding to head home. It should have been just another routine day in his retired elderly life. Later, he would scold himself for not expecting what happened next. It would have saved him the near heart attack.

Jeff closed his door and felt the ache of his bones nag at him. He took off his coat and looked for his roommate curiously as usually she would eagerly greet him upon his return.

"Marge? Marge dear girl, where are you?" he called.

He frowned with minor annoyance and sought her out. All the while he continued to blather on and call for her in hopes she'd come to him. He'd just turned the corner towards his living room when the whooshing of something silver flashed pass him. He felt his heart stop and his body freeze in terror. It took effort to turn his stiff neck and confirm just what he'd dodged. The protruding knife in his wall gleamed millimetres away from his head.

"Stainless steel, very nice. Extremely sharp too."

The stranger in his home languidly watched him from his floral patterned arm chair. She was rather young and he'd not recognised her immediately. He was too busy trembling in his shoes and trying to calm his racing heart. She watched him blankly, all the while stroking his beloved tabby. It wasn't till he directly met her gaze that he knew who she was. The memory of her coming forth and assaulting his aged mind like a rapid typhoon.

"You!" he breathed.

She stared at him blankly but the dark intensity of her gaze never faltered. She'd grown and looked nothing like the girl she used to be. It was the last fleeting thought he had before he felt a year's worth of bottled anger overwhelm him. How dare she return now, of all times, when it was much too late!?

"Get out. Get out of my HOUSE!" he angrily shouted.

She only appeared to be amused at his words. It caused his anger to morph into disgust. Once, Jeff had thought fondly of the girl. Once, Jeff had considered her something like a distant niece. Now she only disgusted him. How could he be glad to see her when she had not bothered to show up for the funeral? Augusta thought the world of her and yet she was nowhere to be seen. None of them were.

"You have no right to come back here looking so entitled!"

He saw how her eyes darkened and steeled himself best as he could. He would not cower; he would stand his ground; he was not afraid of her, not in the moment.

"Shouting will get you nowhere, nor will it be of any help for either us."

He couldn't hide the way his body shivered at the warning in her tone. He knew just what she was capable of once before. He had no idea what the years might have done to her. He didn't have long to wonder on it further as she stood and slowly made her way forward. He swallowed as he felt his terror grow greater.

"Enlighten me _Jefferson Morgan_ exactly how no one was alerted off Augusta Black's death. Tell my why it took a year for word to reach us," with every step forward, his eyes grew wider.

If the Black's truly had no idea than this was greater than he first thought. When she was mere inches from his trembling self, she reached for the knife in his wall. It took one good pull to free it and have it pressed threateningly against his throat. He stared into her glaring eyes and saw how they flickered between feral and humane.

"Whatever anger you have towards me can wait until you've told me all that you know. For your sake _Mr Morgan_ , I do hope it's a lot more reasonable then 'you forgot'."

It was clear to him then that this was not the young Araiya Black he once knew. The woman before him was darker than the girl and more in control of herself. She was dangerous, and he could _feel_ her power just by standing near her. He didn't waste any more time and started to speak. Not once did Araiya back down, but it was clear she hung on to every word he spoke. He finished his recount of events of that day and all that happened with a soft spoken tone.

"…Augusta dying was unexpected. She'd shown no signs of strange behaviour and nothing indicated a disturbance in the town. I took charge of her properties and followed protocol until they'd moved me from her case. When no one came or even responded to any of my summons I assumed none cared."

He felt the knife dig into his skin a little more and saw how her eyes flashed at something he said. The growl of her throat loud in the quiet of his apartment.

"Who! Who authorised your dismissal?"

"Ricardo, your uncle," he grunted before slumping in relief when she pulled back.

 **(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)**

She swallowed the snarling accusation she almost spat. He was wrong as it was her Uncle Ricardo who sent her in the first place. She might not get along with majority of her relatives but Ricardo had been honest when they spoke. He had no idea and her heart sank to her stomach at the only other explanation left.

"How? How did you receive your dismissal!? All and any dismissals would be given solely by-"

Jeff interrupted her with a clipped reply and frustration.

"- by the Head family or Keeper within the area through personal and direct contact. I know. Which is why I fought against the dismissal and attempted to contact headquarters directly."

She needed to consider the possibility that it was all simply a misunderstanding and not assume the worst. The consequences otherwise would change everything and prove deadly. She demanded Jeff bring to her the last postal pack he'd received detailing their addresses. While he went to do so, Araiya's mind raced to consider the all the possible variables as to how this came to be.

Jeff handed her the unassuming file from his safe and scanned it quickly. She felt her mind grow wild and forced herself to cage all feeling she might have felt.

"Are you sure this is the latest?" she blankly asked.

She saw him nod and watched as he grew cautious. The thudding of her emotions roared against the bars of the cage she'd locked them into. The hissed craving of blood and violence cooed in her mind. She did her best to cling to her humanity and stay in control.

"You've been duped. Ricardo relocated to New York as of January 2009. All information printed within this document has been falsified and you were never dismissed form your position Jefferson Morgan."

She saw how his face grew pale and could taste his growing alarm and horror. Araiya couldn't hold it back any longer. She threw her head back and started to laugh. She laughed, uncaring for the insanity that bled into the sound. She laughed until her sides ached and the voices in her head screamed. When she'd finally stopped, her lips had curled into a malicious grin so wide her cheeks ached.

"I do believe _Mr Morgan_ that you and I have much to catch up on."

She didn't care that her control had slipped and her darkest secret bled through. She barely cared that she could see how the change was affecting the elderly man at her side. Araiya was **_furious_** and she wanted blood. As previously stated the Death of a Black from the main bloodline, was not something to be ignored. They were a large and very old family; who through the years hoarded many secrets.

Beacon Hills now had a Black back within its midst and Araiya had no intentions of leaving anytime soon.


	4. Chapter 4

**I have a Beta! She's amazing! But we both have lives to prioritize.**

 **And this is a Re-write.**

 **Enjoy x**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Eichen House.**

 **[Augusta's Mansion]**

Araiya struggled to maintain control over herself; within her mind, a war had come to life in its most chaotic forms. It'd been a long time since her two selves had been at odds. The worst had happened and there was a breach in their security. She had no idea how deeply the breach stretched; how many branches? How many facilities? What information had been leaked or stolen? She'd be foolish to assume Beacon Hills was the only area infiltrated.

It'd been three days since she discovered the breach, and she still had yet to report it.

When asked, she'd only given Jeff the surface truth: she needed evidence and to further evaluate the damage before reporting it in. The deeper truth is that Araiya was simply stalling. She knew what would happen if she immediately reported to her Uncle. Beacon Hills held too many precious and dear memories for her to allow such a fate.

They spent the first day in Jeff's office; sorting through the records and files he hoarded after his dismissal. The second day, they finally accessed the mansion. Augusta's Mansion automatically activated its doomsday lock-down procedure if no one reset the security protocols at the end of the day. It hadn't been easy for either of them. There's a reason no one had been able to find the damn place after her Aunt died.

Returning to the mansion hurt more than Araiya expected. No matter the room, or floor, she would suddenly be lost to memories she'd long buried. A painful thing as it caused her many headaches and tempted her control to falter every time. The Mansion may have been Augusta's, but it was the original Black Family home. It held a lot of their history and was built when the town came to be.

By day three, Jeff and Araiya had made plenty of progress through the mountains of paperwork that'd been neglected since Augusta's death. Jeff let out a sigh and slouched back against his cushioned wheelie chair.

"I do believe we have qualified for a break, my dear," Jeff smiled with exhaustion.

Araiya only grunted in acknowledgement, but didn't look up from the file in her hand. She didn't notice how Jeff's smile tugged downwards. The elderly man was concerned for the younger woman. It had taken them four hours to access the Mansion and deactivate the lock-down measurements. A lot of the security measures and traps required the use of blood- specifically the blood of a Black from the main blood line. Araiya had almost died three times and suffered five minor injuries. Jeff always knew Augusta's Mansion was a deadly fortress. He had forgotten just how severe the Black family's paranoia extended.

Since then, Araiya hadn't stopped working. In fact, Jeff isn't even sure she'd slept or eaten. He knew how important the situation was; but he could not allow this behavior to continue. Despite how much she'd grown, evidently some things were still the same.

"You should rest, Araiya," he softly attempted.

"Hm, soon. I'll be sure to do just that….once I figure out where she'd hidden her office."

Jeff frowned and was tempted to argue, but in the end he kept quiet. He'd not forgotten just how stubborn the girl could be. Instead, he made his way to the kitchen to fix up a light snack for the both of them.

The next time Araiya looked up from the file in her hands, it was due to the wafting scent of freshly toasted bread. A smile formed on her lips. Despite their aggressive reunion, she truly did miss the man. He had been a loyal friend to her aunt and a helpful adviser in her younger years. She felt for him, knowing just how important her aunt had been to him. Augusta had been his family; his salvation when he'd been an awkward orphan attempting to make it in the world. She could sympathize with the gaping void her aunt's absence left in him.

Araiya stood up and groaned, at both the towers of boxes filled with files and the near constant ache of her head. She wandered closer to the glass cabinet that held many of her family's memories. As she looked over it's contents, her roaming eyes paused and a fond smile eased it's way onto her face. A picture of her Aunt Lenora and Uncle Mikael; the two sporting silly faces for the camera. The golden trophy her Uncle Boston won for spelling, winked at her in all its shining glory. The gold medals her Uncle Ricardo had received gleamed competitively in contrast; while her Aunt Jeanne smiled beautifully from the picture of her in her prom dress.

As she stared at the cabinet the war in her head calmed just a little. She startled when Jeff called to her, stumbling into the cabinet due to the shock. She cursed and hurried to pick up the items that had fallen from their place. The scent of musk and her aunt's favorite brand of cigarettes, assailed her nose; the same smell the Mansion had before she and Jeff aired it out. Just by the cabinet Araiya spotted a child's doll- one that must have belonged to one of her cousins. She stared at it suspiciously noticing how its hair swayed ever the slightest.

The windows of the mansion were shut so there couldn't possibly be a draft.

She moved closer and picked up the doll. Then she began to closely examine the area around where it had just fallen. There were scrape marks on the floor, as if something frequently slid against it. Araiya carefully pressed about the wall until her fingers found a small gap; she prodded it apart and felt herself grin.

When Jeff came back with a plate full of food, it was to see her practically destroying the wall. He froze and stared in shock as the wall then revealed a hidden room filled with several computers.

The lights flickered on and the computers hummed awake from being in sleep mode. There were three screens on each wall and a single keyboard in the center. On all three screens was the word 'Password' with a small bar below it with a blinking cursor.

"Did you know about this?" Araiya asked with a biting tone.

Jeff was quick to shake his head.

"Your aunt never let anyone into her office," he responded with awe.

Jeff was smart enough not to try entering the room himself. If the Mansion had been a bitch to get through, it stands to reason Augusta's office might be worse. Araiya kept this in mind as she carefully entered the room. She'd barely made it several steps in before a computerized voice spoke, startling the both of them.

"Password Required."

She had no idea what the password was. This had to be the mainframe and knowing her family, typing the wrong password would be suicide. She didn't want to risk everything either exploding or something other; all possible precautions taken to keep it safe and out of enemy hands.

"Any ideas?" she called but Jeff only shrugged.

"Voice unrecognized. Initiating Face scan recognition."

Araiya winced as she was blinded by a cluster of red lines directly projected towards her face.

"Identified: Araiya Eris Black. Relation: Daughter of Antonio Black. Access Granted."

She darted her gaze from screen to screen, marveling at all the window screens that suddenly opened. She motioned that it was safe for Jeff to enter and the both of them started to surf through the computer drives. On each of the three screens, a different case pertaining a different facility appeared.

"What does any of this mean?" Jeff questioned.

"It's the mainframe. You didn't think we were so old school that we only kept physical records, did you? Beacon Hill's has three main facilities of interest and these babies keep careful track of anything that may need inspection," she answered.

She looked for the last active case her aunt had been working on, only to be surprised. Araiya re-read the files on the screen and double checked the reports and statistics it was showing. Majority of the numbers matched the results her Uncle's briefing had given her. She wasn't shocked to see the statistics for the unsolved crimes and deaths. The computers were linked to three different systems, this mainframe was programmed to search only for strange occurrences that could be linked to the supernatural.

"This file is listed for last month!? Augusta died in 2011! How-"

"The mainframe isn't programmed to shut down like the Mansion is spelled into automatic security lock. Despite not having a Keeper to maintain it, it's still been doing exactly as it's supposed to."

She didn't look up from the screen in front of her as she elaborated.

"There are three main facilities monitored in Beacon Hills; the Station, the Hospital and the High School. If anything new comes to town were usually alerted. We prefer to be rid of a problem before it's on the radar for the human authorities, though occasionally things can slip through. The mainframe allows us quicker access to their personal information to properly plan out a course of approach and reform."

Jeff frowned and looked closer at the screen in front of him.

"If that's the case then what's this supposed to mean? According to this, a patient had been submitted at least a month or so ago. He's listed as high precedence and is labelled priority Red."

Araiya froze at the question and turned towards the left screen Jeff was at. Immediately, she felt her breath catch and her heart beat slow. The war in her mind, deathly quiet due to what she was reading.

"This is recent?" she checked.

Jeff didn't notice the strange change she was showing. He was too swept up in what he was reading, feeling an odd itch of familiarity in his mind. He absently nodded and started to speak.

"According to this, he'd been transferred from the Hospital. It's been at least a month since his submission but this place isn't one of the three facilities you mentioned."

He only heard the change in Araiya when she spoke. She felt cold and the pounding of her heart was loud in her ears. She didn't once look away from the screen as she spoke. She didn't care that her eyes were growing dark and her lips were curling into a maniacal grin.

"There's a fourth establishment. During the earlier days of the town's creation, the Black Family constructed a Facility with a single purpose. This facility was to help guide and empower those who were unstable with control over their abilities. It was to be a safe environment for the healing, teaching and evaluation of the supernatural kind."

Jeff felt uneasy and looked back at the man on the screen. He looked dangerous with eyes a chilling shade of blue and hair so dark, it can only be compared to that of a raven's feather. It was not his features that unsettled Jeff, but the malicious inflection to his curled smirk. He looked to Araiya and shivered at the recognition her eyes expressed.

"You know him?" he stated more than asked.

She didn't answer him. Araiya was much too busy in her head, wrestling with herself and her urges. It was evident she'd not been back for many years as Jeff did not know the man on the screen. He'd forgotten just who the man was and the importance he held to Araiya. If he had remembered he would have better prepared himself for the chaos that greeted them in the future; for nothing good ever followed when Araiya and the man on the screen were together.

"Eichen House was never meant to be a prison Mr Morgan."

Araiya giggled and Jeff trembled under the weight of the tension in the room. He stepped back, feeling a cold sweat form on his brow and terror shake his heart. Araiya smiled and it scared him.

"Come along Jefferson Morgan. We've important matters to attend."

"N-now?"

"Of course, a priority red should never be left unattended to."

She didn't wait to see if he would follow.

Araiya turned to go ready herself for the confrontation. She first made a phone call, unable to delay her report to her Uncle any longer. She told him the barest of truths, assured him that she had everything handled and would keep him updated on the progress. He re-confirmed her assignment parameters before ending the call. Araiya couldn't help but giggle at how easy she'd handled the call.

She hadn't lied to her uncle; just omitted several of her discoveries from her report. He didn't have to know just how compromised she'd become after seeing that man's picture. He didn't need to know that her motives had changed. If Ricardo Black had known her just a little bit better, he would not have picked her to return to Beacon Hills.

Regardless, it was too late.

Beacon Hills was now Araiya's and she had no intentions of leaving now that she'd returned.

She had an old friend to free and no time to waste.

Peter Hale did not belong in Eichen House, and Araiya would be the one to fix that.

 **(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)**

Derek grunted but pushed his muscles to continue through his routine workout. He lost himself to his thoughts unable to forget what had happened that night with the witch- What Stiles had done. Stiles couldn't possibly be an average human; no human could do what he did and still be sane. The boy voluntarily hung around a pack of monsters and ran head first towards danger. He dropped into push up's and focused on the ache of his body. He almost missed the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Are you sure you want to ask Derek for help?"

Derek scoffed and rose from the ground. He grabbed his towel, wiped at his sweat and continued to listen to his approaching visitors.

"Who else can we ask? What is it about Derek that bothers you?"

"Pfft! I'm not bothered by Derek! Definitely not by the sourness of his face or the constant glares and- ugh! Don't even get me started on those eyebrows! Those things could be some sort of supernatural creature on their own."

Malia's control over her senses couldn't possibly be that bad. Surely she would know he could hear them. When they finally entered he pointedly glared at Stiles. When the human teen's scent spiked in alarm, Derek did his best not to smirk.

"Gah-ah uh Pfft whaat? Derek!? Hey buddy, long time no see. How's it going dude?"

"What do you want?" Derek bluntly stated with an unimpressed frown.

"Wow, no hey? Hi? I've been doing well in case you were wondering. Which you probably weren't but HEY! I thought I'd let you know anyway. Anyone ever told you, you have poor people skills?"

"What do you know about my mother?" Malia cut in.

They both ignored Stiles and exchanged searching looks.

Derek felt for her; he could smell the confusion she felt and the struggle she suffered. She was his cousin, Peter's daughter and all she wanted to know was the truth. How? Why? When? Who? All questions he had no answers for.

"I don't know anything," he reluctantly spoke.

It didn't matter to Derek that he did not have the answers she wanted. Malia was still family; Hale blood coursed through her veins. He'd lost too much of his family to simply ignore her. He didn't have the answers she was seeking, but he still wanted to help her.

"LIAR!" she snarled at him.

If Stiles had not been quick to calm her with a steady hand, she most likely would have lunged.

"Hey! Malia? Why don't we hear him out before we start trying to kill each other? Yeah? Okay?" Stiles assured.

Derek felt uncomfortable watching Stiles calm her. She was his cousin, and seeing just how affectionate and trusting the two were with each other, was irritating. No man enjoyed watching their family be all loved up. In this case, no werewolf either. Still, it was obvious Malia cared deeply for the human teen. She calmed at his touch and listened to his words without hesitance. It took a lot of effort for Derek not to simply kick the teenagers out of his loft. At most, he just rolled his eyes and frowned at them.

"Do you know anything at all?" Stiles drawled with slight sarcasm.

If Derek hadn't been caught by Malia's hopeful stare, he would have snarled at the human. Regardless, his answer would still disappoint.

"No."

"What! But- Oh come on!? Peter didn't tell you anything? Nothing about having a girlfriend or love of his life- HEY! What about a great one night stand?"

Derek glared while Malia just looked grateful for Stiles attempt at helping. He caught her gaze and hoped she could see just how much he was judging her for her tastes.

"Despite what you may think; Peter was never the type that liked to share about himself."

"But weren't you two like best of friends at some point?"

Derek frowned, unsure of why Stiles would think that. There was a time where Peter had been his most trusted. A time where his Uncle had been his hero and greatest role model. After Paige died, a lot of things between them changed, mutual trust was one of them.

"Before Mexico, I found my adoption papers in the Hale family vault," Malia spoke which caused Stiles to perk up optimistically.

"Great then we should at least have a name!"

"It's useless. There was no information on my mother, a lot of it was left blank or blacked out."

Derek would have snorted at the comedic way Stiles wilted, but didn't have time to linger on it. Not when Malia continued to speak. The coyote's frustration could be heard through her words.

"Just before everything happened, Peter told me he had a lead. He said he was going to look into the Desert Wolf."

"The Desert Wolf? You're assuming its form is a coyote, and could possibly be your mother?"

Malia glared at how skeptical he sounded, but Derek stopped believing anything Peter said a long time ago. If Stiles hadn't interrupted, he's pretty sure Malia would have snarled at him. He could tell that Mexico was still a sore point for the coyote. He wondered which part; the part where Peter used her or that he didn't give her more clues about her mother.

"Great! It's not much but it's a start right?"

It was painfully obvious that Stiles was really trying to cheer up his girlfriend. Derek felt gross at smelling the affectionate pheromones the two emitted for each other. He balefully met Malia's glare with his own. If she had a problem with his disgust at them, they could leave. This was his loft, it was them intruding.

"What I don't get is how a secretive guy like Peter, didn't know he had a daughter?" Stiles mused bringing all attention back to him.

"I mean he hardly seems like the type to settle down and I doubt he would have forgot to seal it up. Peter really didn't trust anyone but himself huh..?"

Derek deliberately turned around so the teens didn't see the face he made. Stiles wasn't exactly wrong. Peter didn't trust anyone- not really. Derek's mind wandered and he was lost in old memories he'd long buried over the years. Peter had been the cool uncle, the one all the pups in the pack would run to without hesitation. He was always more open to the pups of the pack than the grown-ups.

"Peter wasn't always like this," he absently spoke.

He didn't see the looks the teen couple gave him for his words. Unaware of how grieving his words seemed and how they dripped with guilt and regret. They didn't know Peter before the fire; only the insane monster who tried to kill their friend.

"Then what was he like?" Malia asked.

Derek could smell her curiosity; both of them. Despite all that Peter had done, the man was her biological father. He could understand her want to know him. Derek heard his wolf whine at how she would never know the Uncle, Peter used to be. He forcefully pushed away the thoughts that taunted him as the one to blame.

"He was…."

Normal? Fun? Loving? Protective? Sane?

"He was…?" Stiles prompted.

Derek cleared his throat and chased away the dark thoughts that started to overwhelm him.

"Different. Peter was different."

He ignored the disappointment both teens gave at his answer. He didn't want to see the faces they both made, knowing it would only show sympathy and pity. He didn't want their pity. They didn't linger any longer after that, knowing he wouldn't be off much help. He didn't hear them leave, too busy trying to drown out the voices in his head that blamed him.

This was his fault.

He changed Peter.

It was a while later, when the voices were finally starting to dwindle, that he remembered. He was wrong when he told them Peter never trusted anyone. There had been one person; it was a long time ago but Peter had trusted someone. He hadn't thought about that person in years and even now he felt his agitation grow. He hated them so much; jealous that Peter had trusted them more than his own pack- his family. All of the Hale pups had been overjoyed when that person moved.

They'd all hated the name Black, for one simple reason.

Uncle Peter only ever trusted them.

Derek focused back on his work out and chased away his thoughts on the past.

What's done is done…. All he could do was try and push forward.

 **(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)**

 _Everything **BURNED.**_

 _He could hear them screaming; crying for his help._

 _They wanted someone to save them._

 _He's coming._

 _He's TRYING!_

 _He can't reach them._

 _PETER._

 ** _PEETEEER!_**

 ** _THEY'RE TRAPPED!_**

 ** _HELP US PETER!_**

 **(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)**

Dr Conrad Fenris, once known as Conrad Haberland, wanted nothing more than to go home and drink a glass of whiskey or two. He'd only had one ambition in life; to prove the existence of werewolves. He fell back into his chair and whimpered into his hands. How could he have chosen such a dangerous venture? Perhaps it was not too late to pack a bag and leave this nightmare behind.

Despite the sound proofed walls of his office, the screaming and nonsense shouting still managed to bleed through.

He could still leave, start anew in some place far away from California. He had the money; but there was something that kept him here; something he couldn't possibly forget. It wasn't his bleeding heart. He cared little for curing werewolves or helping with their control. It was a simple thing- it was his curiosity.

Conrad thought back on his visitor and shivered. The wound that ran from his inner elbow to his wrist, stung as a reminder. The stranger had called it a 'welcoming gift' and he was no fool.

He knew it be a warning.

 **[REWIND TO A COUPLE HOURS EARLIER]**

Eichen House had seen its fair share of oddities over the years. One should never trust what they hear or see in Eichen House. The sounds of bullets and shouting was one such oddity that was common to hear in the mad house. If one worked in Eichen House, you did not question or seek to solve mysteries.

If one did, then they should be prepared to never return from whatever finds them.

Amanda looked up from her desk, wary and cautious. It was rare for visitors to come and even rarer for direct admittance of a patient. She eyed the grey haired elderly with a suspicious eye, and cast a quick glance at his dark robed companion. She suspected the nature of this encounter to be something of the other type of business.

"Can I help you sir?" she greeted with false cheer.

No one can help the souls admitted to this hell.

The elderly man looked about with a weary glower. He cleared his throat and seemed much too timid to be in a place like Eichen. Amanda knew better than to assume, you don't last long working in Eichen House if you simply assumed.

"I'm hoping to be informed of the highest authority of this place?" he spoke.

"Are you admitting a patient?"

"No. No, I-that is to say- WE need to speak to the person in charge," he corrected.

"I'm sorry sir, but unless you're admitting a patient or visiting then I cannot help you."

She maintained her smile but there was no apology in her tone. No one was permitted into Eichen House otherwise. She saw how the hooded figure shifted, and narrowed her eyes in suspicion. The elderly man shifted and seemed distressed.

"You really don't understand. We need to know and see who is in charge."

Amanda felt unease grow in her belly and a strange tension started to weigh around the air. She felt her instincts warning her to be careful with her next words. There was a danger in the room and she was at risk.

But she must follow procedure.

"Unless you have evidence proving you have permission to see anyone in this facility, I'm afraid you're going to have to leave."

She hovered her fingers above the secret button that would call for security. Not long after she spoke the danger in the air spiked and she started to choke. She clutched at her throat while her eyes grew wet with tears under the mighty feel of her terror. She made the mistake of looking away from the robed figure and now she was paying for it. The elderly man slumped and trembled but he gazed at her with sympathetic pity.

"Oh dear…" he whimpered.

Amanda barely managed to push the button before she screamed.

 **(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)**

 _The flames grew higher and his claws dug into his flesh. He couldn't see pass the pain of his flesh melting and heat of the flames. They were shadows watching from all around him as he **BURNED.**_

 _"HELP ME!" he pleaded but they did not move._

 _"DEREK!" he cried._

 _The smell of his burnt flesh clouded his sense and he just screamed endlessly. Just as soon as it started, it stopped suddenly. He was once more trapped in a white room with no windows or doors._

 _"H-he-Hey!" he croaked._

 _He couldn't move; his body was paralyzed; his skin raw and his flesh barely clinging to his bones._

 _"P-p-ple-please," he begged._

 _He couldn't think pass the pain or the ache of his bones. He couldn't move his limbs and all he could see was white. Beneath him, a puddle of red gushed and stained the white floor. He sobbed and the salt of his tears stung the melted half of his face._

 _"P-p-ple-please….S-so-somebody… **GET ME OUT OF HERE!** " he screamed again._

 _Peter._

 ** _Petey!_**

 ** _PEEETEEERR!_**

 **(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)**

Creatures locked away in their cages started to stir; the sound of bullets and screaming grew louder. Dr Fenris looked up at the noise and felt unease grow in his chest. The creatures started to grin, some howling and roaring while the screaming grew closer.

Fenris could barely hear himself think.

In a cell isolated from all others on Level 4 were two men. One unconscious; frozen in sleep, he could easily be mistaken as dead. The other awake and humming while flipping through a worn romance novel. He stopped humming for a second and instead began to smile.

"Well, it seems as if the time has come. Aren't you glad? You're to be leaving soon….Peter," the awake man smirked.

The sleeping man said nothing.

 **(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)**

Jeff eyed the chairs in the lobby and contemplated sitting and waiting. He wasn't sure how long this 'visit' would take and he was not as young as he'd once been. The screams of yet another unfortunate soul reached his ears and he took to looking at the décor. Unlike most institutions, Eichen House appeared to favor light shades of colors. A calming lilac purple and a pale peach white instead of the usual bleach white like hospitals.

"Mmhm… nice place really," he muttered just as another round of bullets echoed through the halls.

He'd lost sight of Araiya after she'd dealt with the poor receptionist. It wouldn't be hard to find her; all he had to do was follow the screams and blood trails.

"Oops, pardon me," he apologized having stepped on one of the beaten guards.

He'd only just turned the corner when he came across another poor soul. She was crawling her way towards the exit; her legs heavily clawed and her arm useless due to a gunshot. Jeff truly did feel for the poor woman. He'd almost forgotten just how viscous the Blacks could be when angered. It wasn't fair to these poor uninformed workers. In Araiya's angered mind they were trespassers, working for the enemy and intruding on her family's territory.

He checked over the woman's wound and sighed with relief.

"I wouldn't worry too much, it's only a flesh wound."

The woman keened in disagreement and he frowned at her.

"You're lucky, she could have ripped off your legs completely. The clawing will heal in time, and if you're properly seen too, without scaring."

A lot of the staff looked worse than they actually were; most likely due to the blood. He would panic more if they were all dead. It was the only reason he was somewhat calm.

There would be no death today, only a bit of blood spill.

Araiya wasn't silly enough to kill mindlessly before interrogating the lot. Now that a Black was back in Beacon Hills, Eichen House will be properly maintained. Though, first it must be thoroughly cleansed of anything that did not belong.

 **(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)**

The thrill of the hunt always tended to drive her mad with addiction. Araiya relished in the taste of blood on her tongue and the sticky warmth of it soaking her claws and staining her skin. She reloaded the revolver in her left hand and wildly shot. The sound harmonizing with the screaming of her victims. As she waited for the elevator to descend, she counted the seconds that passed; eager for another round of bloodshed.

Araiya stared at her messy reflection, purring at the vision she made. The black hood concealed her features, spelled to stay in place. Only the wide stretch of her fanged smile could be seen; it shone with malicious glee and hunger. No one would know who she was- they would not see her face.

She was a Keeper and to the public their identities were kept and protected.

Only the dead would ever know the face of a Keeper.

The ding of the elevator filled her with giddy excitement. She made quick work of leaving the metal entrapment and wildly shot with her gun again. The creatures responded to her arrival with screaming cries and roared snarling of glee. They could feel her intent and she relished in their blood lust.

"What on earth is going on!?"A man yelled.

It was the white coat that alerted her to his importance. She focused on him and wasted no time in caging him within her space. The voices in her head shifted and her humanity bowed to the swap. The claws of their right hand gleamed and tingled as they reached for the human's neck. He yelped having not seen their arrival.

He smelt….. **delicious**.

The taste of his terror tangy on their tongue; zesty like citrus. It caused their senses to sing and buzz with renewed energy. They tightened their grip, digging their claws into his flesh and feeling his terror shift into horror. The switch from such a light taste to one of heavy richness caused them to laugh. One whispered to carve their symbol into his face; hissed with crazed want to let all know who had ended his life. Another warned that there would be no death; bloodshed not carnage. It did not care, it only wanted to feast. It had been starved off such delicacies for years.

"Oh please!" the man begged and whimpered.

Yes… _submit_ … _**vile**_ … **pathetic** …

They grinned widely letting the light gleam from their fangs. They ran their tongue over their teeth and enjoyed the fast pounding of their victim's heart. The voices screamed in tandem together, all wanting the same thing.

 _Information_ / ** _REVENGE_** / **Blood.**

Another argued loudly, insisting they could not kill. One snarled with anger and pushed for Another to shut up. It only wanted blood, it wanted fear, pain, terror and horror. Another screamed for It and One to quiet and listen. One roared that Another was being unfair. It purred it's intention to do whatever it wished. Another screamed and the voices swapped again with humanity rising above them all.

Araiya glared at the man before her, while he stared in frozen shock. It took effort to silence the war in her head, damper their words behind several mental walls. She hadn't clashed with them so violently since her days in the Triune. She hardened her glare and steadied her hand, the war in her mind won for the moment. The man in her hold was gasping now, unable to breathe through the intense horror he was being held under.

 ***BANG***

Araiya released the man in her hold and turned to the source of the sound. Jeff stared at her, shakily wielding his own gun in hand. She forced herself to ease the intensity of her influence and heard the man on the ground greedily gulping air into his lungs.

"I apologize dear, but we both agreed that killing can be done another day."

She couldn't vocally thank Jeff for his interference. She couldn't be seen as forgiving. If he had not snapped her out of her trance, she most likely would have pushed the man pass his limits. She only tilted her head mid-growl and knew the elderly man understood.

 **(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)**

Jeff released the breath he'd held in nervous anticipation. He didn't dare move until Araiya did, afraid she might react again. She'd warned him of her current situation and had she not, he knew the man in her hold would be dead.

"Shall we get on with it?" he prompted with a false smile.

It didn't take long for them to break the man into speaking. Jeff felt for the poor sod but knew better than to interfere. Instead he busied himself by peering into the cages and observing the creatures inside.

"Listen okay! I-I got a letter and it t-told me- It told me about this place. It said I was welcome to work here and take care things. They offered to pay for my research!" the man revealed.

Jeff winced and the dread in his gut grew greater. The man's confession only confirmed their worst fears. This was more than a breach….. This was a betrayal of the highest degree. Eichen House was a secret hoarded closely by many Black's throughout the years. Only another Black would know of its existence. He looked to Araiya and knew exactly where her thoughts had led her.

War was on the horizon.

Jefferson Morgan was a retired lawyer. Long gone are the days where he'd envision a peaceful retirement. He'd known what being involved with the Blacks would bring. He'd read about the chaos they brought and the dark history they guarded so fiercely. He knew just what a war involving the Black family would bring.

In the very next instance he knew that his chances of seeing the end of the coming war were slim.

Araiya's roaring brought his wandering mind back to the present. Now was not the time to linger in such dark thinking. It was clear there were other matters more important to Araiya besides the breach. When she spoke, it was with barely restrained control; her tone deepening into a snarl with every word spat.

"Lady luck smiles on you today Conrad Fenris, for today you will not forfeit your life. You will listen to my companion and obey his every command. From now on, you will answer to him or me and no-one else."

Dr Conrad Fenris whimpered and tears fell from his eyes due to the terror her words wrought. Araiya grinned again, an obvious sign that she was warring in her mind once more. When she spoke the shifting pitch of her voice could be heard clear as day.

"Now… take me to Peter Hale."

After this day, Beacon Hills truly would never be the same. Fate's trap had been sprung, and its cogs turned in motion. A long awaited plan now coming into works.

It was only a matter of time.


	5. Chapter 5

**I want to have at least 4 pre-written chapters, so the next update for this re-write will probably be a while. At the moment, I'm at 7,698 words for Chapter 42 of the original version's next chapter.**

 **Just want you to know I'm still working on it.**

 **(Un-beta'd chapter. All mistakes are mine)**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Peter**

Valack had been anticipating this for a long time now. The humor on his lips grew wider as he patiently watched the door from the corner of his eye. When his gaze shifted, it was then held by his unconscious roommate. Pity filled him as he stared at the still man. He was so damaged, ruined by betrayal and corrupted by scars both physical and mental. Peter Hale had been such a brilliant mind, now he was but broken shards of something that was once beautiful.

He wondered if the sacrifice of one man's sanity truly had been for the 'greater good; or had jealousy, misplaced blame and anger corrupted the choice made.

"It's rude not to knock when visiting. Surely, the time since I last saw you did not strip you of any manner and decorum," He mused.

She didn't respond to his light tease and so he took that time to study her. She'd grown and he grinned at how much. He could sense it immediately, the taint she carried warring with her mind. He wondered who would win in the end, her or them.

"Gabriel Valack how fares life behind glass?" she mocked.

He shivered at how she purred out her words. He could hear the threat in her words and tone. The Black's had always been terrifying; Augusta Black had a legacy to her name as a harbinger of chaos; her temper on par with an inferno. Before him was Araiya Black and he could sense the **danger** she truly was.

 _'And so it begins'_ he inwardly mused before speaking out loud.

"A bit boring. I do hope you brought with you better reading material. I can only bore myself with the same content for so long," he drawled.

He heard her chuckle and the deep tone of her voice shifted into one more human.

"Romance Valack? Have the years really been so cruel?" she teased.

He hummed in reply, watching how she moved closer to the glass of his cell. She was not looking at him, but his unconscious roommate. He could not see her face due to the hood she wore, but he could sense enough from the aura she projected. She reached out a hand and pressed it against the glass wall between them. The act told him plenty and so he softly spoke with assurance.

"He isn't dead if that's what you're wondering. He was just a bit too chatty for my liking."

 **(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)**

Araiya ignored the world, her attention focused solely on the sleeping man. The war in her head silent as they looked down upon his form. She felt nothing for once, no rage, anger or grief. He was here, in person- close enough for her to touch. She studied his form best she could from where she stood. He looked so worn, aged and… broken. She could sense it- _feel_ it in her bones.

Araiya's fingers curled against the glass wall and she hurt for the sleeping man.

'What happened to you? Who has broken you?' she wondered.

The voices started to speak again, their determination pushing her to fix this.

 _Here….safe….protect…. take…..protect._

"He has suffered a lot, his mind has been shattered and violated too many times. I've personally ruined minds myself but the damage to his…."

As Valack spoke Araiya tuned him out. She didn't need him to narrate or theorize what had been done to Peter. She could _feel_ it all herself. It angered her- **them**. They wanted blood, to hunt down all who had dared to harm _their_ pack, _their_ brother of choice. Another wanted death and torture- JUSTICE they insisted. It hissed that Another was too kind and death too simple. One wasn't sure what to do, too trapped in grief and mourning.

"Araiya?"

They- **She** looked to Valack and enforced her mental defenses once more. She was slipping too often and that was dangerous.

"Could you help him?" she asked.

"It's easier to destroy than to fix," Valack grumbled.

She hummed but said nothing more. Araiya approached the cell door and unlocked it, joining the two men in the small space. She stood before Valack and eyed him closely. He looked no different than the last time she'd seen him perhaps more worn and less polished. He did the same but neither made any movements to embrace each other.

"How the years have flown," he muttered and her lips twitched in response.

Together they turned to look at the slumbering man in the cot. Valack eyed her before dramatically sighing and nudging at Peter with his foot. Araiya sneered at him but he ignored her.

"He has blank spots, whatever was taken from his mind was incredibly important to his wolf. I doubt a man such as _Peter Hale_ would willingly create a mate bond with just anyone."

Araiya froze and her minds drifted, images of a young couple pushed to the forefront of her thoughts. The voices in her head roaring their opinions without restraint. She dug her nails into her palms and focused on the stinging sensation. She sorted through her priorities until it drowned out the voices in her head.

Peter.

Get Peter out.

Then start researching.

So many things to do in so little time.

Araiya reached for Peter reveling at the feel of him.

He was here, this was real.

"Peter….. I'm here," she whispered.

 **(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)**

Valack watched Araiya closely. He hummed a jaunty tune from his mind as she gave orders to have Peter removed from his cell. When he was alone once more, he let a smirk stretch widely on his lips.

"You chose well Augusta," he praised.

The whispers of the beyond grew louder at his words. He listened to them all with amusement in his eyes. Valack had seen it all, he knew what was to come. The three eyed man barked out a laugh that could be used as proof of his insanity. A Black had returned to Beacon Hills and Araiya was no longer a child.

"Let us see if your faith in her will prove true…." He mused to no one.

Valack had not felt this excited for years.

 **(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)**

 _Darkness._

 _All around him was darkness._

 _Where is he?_

 _Peter heard voices speaking but couldn't recognize who they belonged too. The voices broke through the darkness. They echoed all around him but he was still paralyzed._

 _"When will he wake?"_

 _When?_

 _"It's been two days…."_

 _The voices came like waves crashing upon the shore. They disrupted the silence and flowed in and out, crashing into him while he was buried neck deep in the sand._

 _Is this death?_

 _No._

 _Impossible._

 _Peter couldn't be dead- he knew what awaited him in the afterlife. He's cheated death before and could do so again. He wasn't supposed to fail. He shouldn't have failed. The Alpha had to die- The Alpha was wrong and failed the pack. Peter had to fix the pack- he had to SAVE the pack from failure._

 _Talia had failed them._

 _Fix it. Fix it. Peter needs to fix it. For the Pack- For the pups. D-Derek, C-Cora, L-Lau-Laur-La-_

"Wake up Peter….You need to Wake up…"

 _Wake up?_

"Peter, I'm here….. Please wake up. You're safe now."

 _Talia?_

 _Peter felt his wolf growl at the name. Talia is de-a failure-Alpha. Sister. Alpha. Sister. Talia is-Alpha. Sister. Talia is the Alp-DEAD! DEAD! DEAD! Alone. Peter is alone. Pack is dead. Pack is dead. Alone. Alone. FIX IT. FIX IT PETER. FIX IT. BURNING! HE'S BURNING! DEREEEEK!_

"Get up Petey!"

 _Who?_

"You are not this weak."

 _Weak?_

 _Who dares!_

 _He was Peter Hale, Broth-Bet-Unc-ALPHA._

 _Peter bowed to no one._

 _Peter roared into the darkness, howling in rage with his wolf._

 _Together they fought the darkness in his mind._

 **(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)**

Araiya listened to the slow beating of Peter's heart. She pressed her fingers against his wrist, assuring herself he's still there. He's still alive and breathing. She'd been reluctant to leave his side since they'd taken him out of Eichen. If not for Jeff's insistence that he could help, she would never have left him for a second.

Eichen House was in desperate need of a deep clean.

It hadn't been easy and after the sixth death, Araiya stopped counting. There were too many unauthorized and untrustworthy. It was disappointing to find how deeply the breach had gone. Whenever she remembered their pleas and cries for mercy she felt her anger stir. They all gave the same reason for their presence.

The Beacon had called them home.

Araiya felt the voices stir at the memory and forced herself to focus on Peter's breathing again. The vampire she'd interrogated had gleefully spilled all it knew. Beacon Hills was a war zone in the making all thanks to a local wolf pack.

"Beacon Hill's hasn't belonged to anyone since the Hale Pack! Everyone knows how they ended."

Jeff hadn't been happy with how excessively she dealt with him. She stands by her decision to light his ass on fire. The crucifixion with holy blessed stakes was more or less for decoration.

"And what would you tell the authorities if someone reported seeing smoke in the woods?" Jeff had lectured.

"The chief would understand, he knows how fond my Aunt was towards bonfires."

The memory of the vampires screams as she stitched his mouth shut brought a smile to her lips. It was worth the effort and she doubted there was any chance of the bloodsucker coming back. She felt the hand beneath her fingers flex and grew hopeful.

"Peter?"

He remained still, and his breathing slow…but she felt him.

The smile on her lips stretched wider and excitement bubbled in her gut.

He was real.

He was fighting to wake.

He would wake up soon.

"I'm here…. I'm waiting," she whispered.


	6. Chapter 6

**Just want you to know I'm still working on it.**

 **(Un-beta'd chapter. All mistakes are mine)**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Social Plans in Beacon Hills.**

Stiles was tired, so exhausted he could barely stay awake.

He'd not been able to sleep properly for weeks due to all the information his brain had soaked up. Lately, the pack had been able to take a step back from all supernatural problems since the witch incident. Lydia had used that time to re-enforce her rule as a queen, while Kira had been acting odd. The Kitsune had been suspiciously secretive since their trip to Mexico. Stiles hadn't approached her or told anyone of what he knew.

Oh, just to be clear, Stiles had by no means been stalking his best friend's girlfriend.

He just happened to be walking by Mr Yukimura's classroom and over heard some things. He may not be a werecreature but his very human ears did hear the words 'Moving back to New York'.

A coincidence really.

"Stiles!"

He jolted from his self-induced ponderings and turned with wide eyes to the caller of his name.

"Waah! Scott! Dude don't sneak up on people! Sheesh!" he grumbled.

Scott stared at Stiles with wide eyes that grew concerned. The pale skinned boy was sporting dark rings beneath his eyes and reeked of exhaustion to his enhanced nose. He wanted to ask what was wrong, worried that something supernatural had happened. Scott could never forget the effects the Nogitsune's possession had on Stiles- still had even now. The fear and frustration he'd felt at the time was unforgettable. If they hadn't managed to separate the Nogitsune from Stiles he would have had to-

Scott refused to finish that thought.

They had won.

Stiles was saved.

Scott focused back on the present and ignored the dark thoughts in his head.

"I've been trying to get your attention for a while now."

Stiles rapidly shook his head in attempt to wake up a bit more. He was lucky it was just Scott and not Lydia or Malia. No doubt the two girls would be less forgiving. He focused on swapping out his books and prepping for their next class, hopefully he could sneak in a nap.

"Is everything alright?" Scott asked.

Stiles took one look at Scott and wanted to tell him everything. He always did when Scott would look at him, puppy eyes and all. The effect of the look only increased after Peter turned him into a literal dog.

He wouldn't though- couldn't tell Scott why he was so tired. Scott would only tell him he's overthinking things. Paranoid. It's just- Stiles refused to fall into a state of ease just because they'd had a couple days to be teens. He wanted to be ready; able to face whatever creature would come after them- because there would be another.

It's not like he was the only one.

Malia had been doing the same; investigating all things that dealt with the 'Desert Wolf'. She was still disappointed that asking Derek didn't give them much help.

But Malia had Stiles and he would help her best he could.

"I'm fine man, just been having problems sleeping," he weakly assured.

"You're not having nightmares again, are you?"

He knew they were just worried, but did they have to be so obvious? Stiles was possessed once by a dark trickster fox spirit, and suddenly he needed to be handled with care. He shut his locker door with a slam and put on his best smile.

"Dude. I'm good, just spent too long on the net. I'll take a nap next period and be back to normal."

Scott listened closely, trying to hear the lie. He sensed nothing and so he let it go. If Stiles said so then he must be fine.

"Cool. Anyway, I was trying to let you know that there's going to be a pack meeting tonight."

Stiles whipped around quicker than Scott expected.

"Why!? Did something happen? Was anyone hurt?"

Scott quickly tried to placate his frazzled friend.

Maybe he should have eased Stiles into it?

"Uh No? Calm down dude. Nothing's wrong, I was just talking with Kira and she mentioned how Liam's been after the whole Cindy thing. She suggested we maybe cheer him up a bit. Lydia suggested we just hold a pack meeting and you know, chill with each other," Scott elaborated.

Stiles relaxed and could feel the tension ease out of him. A pack meeting was good- GREAT news actually. He could probably bully Derek into giving them some training and maybe share his research with the pack. He ignored the small voice that reminded him Derek would probably be a grumpy wolf.

"Sounds great bud. I'll let Malia know if Kira hasn't already told her. The both of us will need to make a stop home. It's my dad's night off so he'll probably want to have the house to himself anyway. "

"Great! So we all meet at Derek's place at seven."

Stiles made his way to his next class; his head full of so many thoughts. It wasn't fair that Derek always let Scott do whatever at his loft. Whenever he wanted to call a pack meeting or something at the loft Derek would argue with him. The small amount of energy he used to get to class seeped out of him. The drowsy sensation of sleep overcame him and his eyes slowly drifted close.

(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)

Derek stared down at his phone with disbelief.

Received: Scott

4:46 pm: Pack meeting loft. 7:00pm tonight.

No asking for permission just a text to let him know what's happening.

Derek felt a headache start to form and pocketed his phone not bothering to reply. There couldn't possibly be anything to worry about, especially since he'd been doing patrols since their encounter with the witch.

Scott probably just wanted to talk or something.

Scott may be the Alpha, but Derek was still an adult. He scoffed at the amusement his wolf felt towards the whole situation. It's not that his wolf didn't acknowledge Scott as an Alpha; just that he didn't consider the teen their Alpha.

Derek and his wolf had always been separate in mind after puberty. He remembered wondering if it was normal and asking his mother. While his late mother had seemed shocked she hadn't been much help; all she said was 'every werewolf shares a connection with their wolf, pup'.

After the fire Laura and he had come across a group of wandering rogues. They'd asked him why his wolf was different from theirs but Laura and he had no idea what they meant. Laura had just laughed it off and Derek had glared until they backed off.

Laura….

Derek forced himself to think of something else.

He hated not having anything to do. All it ever did was leave him open to dark musings and memories he'd rather not remember. He heaved out a loud sigh and grabbed his keys. If there was going to be a pack meeting he'd have to stock up on snacks. A pack meeting of mostly teens would mean hungry teens. He took note of what needed to be re-stocked, locked up and then drove to the nearest grocery store.

He'd grabbed a basket and made his way through the aisles. He did his best to ignore the looks people gave him. It was hard, but he should be used to it. The pungent smell of lust and jealousy made his nose itch, and he quickly scowled as he gave the area around him a quick scan. The smell quickly shifted to that of intimidation and apprehension.

Good.

Sometimes, it really was a burden to look as good as he did.

"Now that wasn't very nice of you," a soft voice tittered with amusement.

Derek immediately tensed, caught off guard. The packet of Reese peanut butter cups clenched tightly in his grip. It doesn't take him long to spot her. She was leaning against the shelf next to the oreo's and chocolate chip cookies. It only took him a second or two to place her.

It was the strange girl he'd met at the cinema.

Derek felt his wolf perk up with interest and frowned. He'd almost forgotten about her. He gave her a quick scan and noted the half-filled basket in her hand. It was probably just a coincidence…seriously what were the chances?

"You going to stand there all day Green Eyes or are you going to put that height to good use?" she teased.

Derek's frown turned into a glower, with one last huff he reached for the box of oreo's she pointed at.

(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)

Araiya didn't believe in luck.

Not really.

Still… as she watched the green eyed man's form stretch; she found herself reconsidering her beliefs.

There was something about the way he had dressed. Despite, the leather jacket and jeans- somehow he seemed more approachable compared to last time. When he turned to her with a dark glare and practically shoved the oreo packet into her arms, she couldn't help but snicker. She really shouldn't think the scowl on his lips and the glare of his eyes made him look cute.

"Can't reach?"

He was teasing her but others might have called it irritation. She smirked and made a show of putting the packet into her basket. He quirked a brow to convey how unimpressed he was but the twitch of his lips told her otherwise.

"I figured someone better make use of that height of yours," she said with a shrug.

It had been a long time since Araiya had ever felt comfortable enough to socialise with a stranger. After everything with Beth and finding Peter, she just couldn't help but embrace it. This green eyed stranger was fun; all of her enjoyed his company. It was strange, unexplainable and just on the rise of being suspicious. Araiya felt her other selves chase the rising thought away. They insisted that she not close herself off and distance herself from this potential friend.

It was strange, but Araiya rarely ever questioned her selves.

Perhaps, she was a fool not to.

Araiya turned and continued to shop, leaving the unspoken invitation to join her, hang in the air. Derek only considered it for a few seconds before allowing himself to follow after. They didn't converse for the first few minutes, each attending to their own chore. They didn't notice how people would pass by and smile; lost to envy, adoration and amusement towards the two who they thought to be a young couple.

She waited until they doubled back to the fruit section to break the silence between them.

"If you're going to be following me, you might as well ask," she smirked while checking over some banana bunches.

She could feel his glowering glare on the side of her face and only snickered. Deciding on a bunch, she placed it in her basket and tilted her head addressing him teasingly.

"You're pretty easy to get a read on. I suppose there's just something about you're presence that speaks to me."

She noticed how he tensed and she widened her smirk into a smile. Araiya wondered just what he would do next, her selves bubbled with excitement. It had been a long time since they'd played this game. She was flirting, something she'd not done in years. When she saw his shoulders relax, she inwardly crowed with smugness. Despite the years, she was rather proud to see she still had the talent.

"You were right. She was using him," he roughly mumbled.

They continued on towards the strawberries, the both of them taking the time to check the punnets over for rotten or over ripe pieces. Only after they'd both placed their chosen punnets into their baskets, did he follow up his previous sentence.

"How did you know?"

Araiya turned to face him directly, privately contemplating just how much she wanted to tell him. He was staring at her quite intensely. The green of his eyes distracting in a way she never thought she'd be victim to. The blend of blue and brownish yellow around the ring turning into a bright hazel green could easily be summed in one word.

Beautiful.

"Are you familiar with the Art of Deduction?"

The surprise and interest in his eyes thrilled her and she knew with certainty, she made the right decision.

"You mean assumption," he countered only to have her shake her head.

"No, I mean Deduction."

"What's the difference?" He huffed with slight annoyance.

"Well, logical reasoning for one and offensive conclusions."

She deliberately continued to walk on, which forced him to follow after. The glare on his face made her grin and she continued to explain as they walked.

"Let's say, you see a woman driving a car that has a child's car seat inside. Now, a child seat must mean a child is present in her life. Even if the child's not in the seat at the time, you can safely deduce she has one. Later, you discover she's actually just the childfree aunt, borrowing her married sister's car for the day."

Araiya eyed Derek from the corner of her eye, checking to see if he was following her explanation. The concentrated expression he wore amused her more than it probably should have.

"On the other hand, you see a woman over 30 wearing a wedding band and assume she has a child. Why would you assume such a thing? What about the wedding band told you she had a baby? You most definitely just offended her by coming to such conclusions."

They were now in the bakery section and fell into silence once more. Only after Araiya had grabbed a packet of red velvet cupcakes, did Derek speak again.

"So you deduced that she was using Liam?"

The emphasis he put on 'deduced' made her arch a brow.

"Don't believe me Green Eyes?"

Derek eyed her intently before placing some bread in his basket. He arched a brow of his own and smirked down at her with slight mockery.

"Of course not."

Araiya's grin stretched wider at feeling how her stomach fluttered. The excited cheers of her other selves, loud in her mind. The fact the man before her was willing to play her flirting game left them excited.

A perfect source of relief from the chaos of their life.

"Did everything work out in the end?" she asked after a short laughing fest.

Derek didn't say anything, only nodded his head in brisk confirmation. It didn't offend her, unlike some girls, Araiya was fine to simply share silence than continue to force small talk. They continued to shop together, no longer sharing words but quirked brows and teasing glances filled with mockery.

To Derek, she was a liberating change from his usual company. Despite being unable to catch her scent, she appeared and acted perfectly human. It took him by surprise, as rather than pushing, she simply dropped all conversation regarding Liam. He might not deem her as a threat, but still wouldn't put his pack at risk. After all, Derek has learned plenty from the mistakes of his past.

Eventually, they both reached the end of their shopping lists. It only took a questioning tilt of her head, and a short nod of his, for them both to approach the counter. Araiya cheekily grinned and motioned like a gentleman would a lady, for Derek to go first. He gave her what was probably his ninth glare for the day and walked through. If his lips twitched, he doubted anyone would have the courage to point it out.

"Getting snacks for a party?" the cashier smiled.

She was young. Perhaps a recent 20 year old, with dyed hair and slim lips that stood out thanks to the dark red shade of her lipstick. The standard uniform she wore was neatly arranged and she smiled wide like all workers undoubtedly were told to.

Araiya watched as Green Eyes offered a half smirk in reply before lowly mumbling his response.

"Something like that…"

She was amused to see the slow crawling flush of embarrassment on the cashier's neck to cheeks. She easily felt the raw emotions oozing from the younger girl and choked down the snort building in her throat. It wasn't until Green Eyes removed the bar separating their shopping that her amusement faded.

"Hey!"

"These too please," Derek motioned with a toothy smile.

Araiya was dumbstruck for a second at the peeking of cute bunny teeth. The cashier stumbled and hit her elbow before laughing awkwardly. Araiya shook her brief admiration off and attempted to grab the bar in his hands.

"What are you doing!? You can't seriously want to pay for my shopping!?"

The cashier startled at Araiya's grumbling, as if only noticing her presence as well. Araiya could feel the heavy disagreement of her other selves within her mind. She chose to ignore them.

"Might as well," Derek shrugged.

The tone he spoke with was teasing, daring and playful even. At this point the cashier was now gaping at the both of them. A single glance clued Araiya into his reasons and she slightly widened her eyes with disbelief.

Derek gave her a lopsided grin that was way too innocent to be remotely true.

Araiya didn't believe in luck.

She did however, acknowledge the possibility of coincidences.

This Green Eyed man amused her, he had an odd way of igniting the spark of childish daring she'd thought to be dead. After everything she'd gone through so far in her life, the feeling of pure mischief she felt returning was a miracle. It was an easy choice for her to make.

With a wiggle of her brows and a small growing smirk, Araiya decided to play along with Derek's game.

(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)

Derek wouldn't dare voice it out loud, but he was having fun.

The strange girl narrowed her eyes in challenge before schooling her expression. He felt a swooping of excitement grow in his gut, curious as to what she planned to do. At the back of his mind, he felt his wolf perk with interest, something that was rather rare.

Araiya tipped her head back, adjusting the fedora on her head so her face was more visible. The cashier watched the both of them intently with blatant fascination. When Araiya softened her eyes and stared up at Derek with a 'bashfully pleased' expression she stunned all who watched.

The simple change of expression; the shift in her stance, all aided in making her seem completely different. Suddenly, Derek was drawn to the plump fullness of her lips. He was distracted by the thickness of her lashes and the lure of her honey brown eyes. If he hadn't been a werewolf, he would have missed the breathy purr she gave as she spoke.

"You know Green Eyes….If I had known you'd considered us familiar enough to share groceries. I would have put a few more things in my basket."

Derek arched a brow, silently expressing with the action slight mockery. Is that all she had to offer? When she arched her own brow and tipped the corner of her lips upwards with tease, his curiosity returned. She trailed her fingers along the edge of the oreo's he'd gotten for her; twisting and circling her pointer in a way that seemed suggestive. The smile on her lips turned impish as she stared directly into his eyes.

"You're lucky I don't mind my cookies crumbled."

The line was ridiculous and Derek blankly stared at her with shock. By the satisfied glint in her eyes, he knew she was rather proud of herself. Slowly his shock wore off and he struggled to swallow the laugh building in his throat. The squeak of disbelief the cashier gave only made things worse.

They both turned to see the young cashier turning a tomato shade of red.

He allowed himself to chuckle. He couldn't let her get the last laugh and so winked at her suggestively. He leaned closely to her and whispered just loud enough for the young cashier to hear.

"Maybe later, I'll show you the best way to enjoy it."

In this moment, Derek finally felt human- normal. A voice in his head warned him that it could still be a lie. This voice pushed him to remember all the other women in his life who gave him this same feeling. The voice was only silenced by the snarl of his wolf. When the last of the groceries were scanned and packed, they both made their way to leave, wearing smirks and grins at leaving behind a red faced cashier with wide eyes to stare after them.

(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)

Araiya turned to Derek with a pointed glare and motioned for her shopping bags.

"Alright, pass it over. You've paid for my things but I'm drawing the line at carrying my shopping," she teasingly warned.

Derek grinned and flashed another one of his bunny smiles. Araiya visibly blinked with distraction before chasing away the keening interest her other selves were expressing in her head.

"I thought you wanted me to show you how to best enjoy crumbling cookies," he mocked.

Araiya physically felt herself shiver at the literal amount of charm laced in those words. The unease she felt at the emotion pushed her to grab the bags herself and ignore the comment. The snarling disagreement of her other selves made her wary. She truly felt comfortable with this green eyed man, and she'd not even known him for long. Earlier, it had been quite fun, but Araiya never felt this comfortable around new people.

At least not this quick or easy.

She huffed and absently blurted her thoughts only realising just how suggestive it was after speaking.

"The only show you get to watch is my ass walking away as I go home. Wait! That didn't come out right!"

When he laughed at her, Araiya felt her insides grow warm and heard the purring of her other selves. It was the first time she'd heard him laugh and she found herself liking the sound. It unnerved her and she clutched her shopping tighter. She did her best to get him to stop laughing by intently glaring.

Coincidently, they'd both parked near each other. Araiya trailed an admiring eye over his Camaro, somehow it suited him perfectly. She spotted him doing the same towards her own ride. She couldn't help but perk up with shameless pride. Along with her bike, her car took first place in her heart.

"Nice ride," he praised.

"Thanks. It was a gift from my great Aunt when I turned 15."

Araiya smiled wistfully at the shine of her impala as she remembered the day. She couldn't hide the sad tinge in her words as she spoke.

"When I left, she told me that whenever I returned it'd be right here waiting for me"

She never once thought Aunt Augusta wouldn't be waiting with it.

"Mind if I check out the engine?" he asked.

Araiya felt surprised at the question but it made sense. He wore a leather jacket, had a rocking bod and an unfairly cute smile. Of course he'd know how to work on an engine.

"You a mechanic or something Mobster man?" she joked, earning an eye roll in response.

"Something like that," he muttered.

Araiya didn't answer, instead she hopped into the driver's seat and started the engine. She closed her eyes and savoured the rumbling sound and the vibrations of the engines roar. She heard him approach her lowered window and opened her eyes to see him peering into her car impassively.

She looked up at him and gave a teasing smile of her own.

"Mmh…. You see I would but I don't let just anyone under my hood. Not even if they had gorgeous green eyes like yourself."

He huffed out a chuckle before offering his hand for a shake.

"It's Derek," he introduced.

Araiya eyed him before slipping her hand into his and giving a small shake. She couldn't help but admire how firm his hand was in comparison to her own. She could feel the rough skin of his palms which suggested he was a rather hands on worker. The smirk on her lips widened as her other selves crowed with approval. They always did appreciate a hard worker….. Especially the more hands on type.

"I could see you as a Derek," she mused.

"If I remember right, you promised a name and a number in addition if we ever met again."

Derek grinned at her, once again flashing her a bunny toothed smile. Araiya gave him one last praising look before deciding to share her own name.

"Araiya."

Slowly, they let go of each other's hands, never once letting their gazes falter. Derek found her brazen, while Araiya found him charming. The both of them, hesitant to embrace the possible friendship they could sense in each other. It was Araiya who disrupted the strange spell overwhelming them both.

"Well, if you'll excuse me Derek, I do have other plans to accomplish."

"What! No number?" he scoffed with a frown. It didn't hide the gleaming amusement in his eyes.

Araiya reversed out causing Derek to back away just in case. Before driving off, she cheekily leaned out

her window and winked.

"Check your pockets."

She revved her engines and drove away, unable to stop the smile on her lips from spreading. In her review mirror, she saw how he continued to watch with a similar smile on his face.

(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)

When Araiya arrived back at the mansion, Jeff was already waiting. The elderly human perked up with interest at the rather cheerful way Araiya moved about. Since their repossession of Eichen House, he'd grown concerned that the younger Black was over working herself. It had been a true struggle to get the girl to agree to dinner with the Sheriff and his son. He had vowed to watch over Peter for her in return and swore to call if anything went wrong.

While still reluctant, she had agreed and that was all he wanted.

Which was why it was so curious to find her rather cheerful.

"A good trip to the store I take it?" he casually prodded.

"Hm… I suppose," she distractedly answered.

It was clear he would be getting nothing more from her. She may not be the young girl he'd known all those years ago, but Jeff knew when not to push.

"Very well, I suggest you start on your cooking then."

Araiya rolled her eyes as she continued to pack away what she had bought.

"Dinner with the Stilinski's isn't till eight, Jeff. I have time to waste."

"If you insist, would you like a hand?"

"No Jeff," she sighed.

Jeff gave a knowing hum and made a show of reading his magazine. Araiya purposely ignored his exaggerated flipping of the pages. Jeff made sure not to look up from the magazine as he next spoke.

"You took longer than I thought, was the store busy at this time?"

Araiya didn't falter and closed the pantry with a toothy smile and eyes of innocence.

"Not really, I was just mixing myself back into the community a bit. Isn't that what you suggested I do?"

Jeff scoffed and lightly shook his head. He let the subject drop and left Araiya to start prepping for cooking. As if he would ever believe such an excuse. Jeff has known the Black family for much too long to be a fool and believe their reasons to be honest.

He had yet to meet a Black that ever listened to what they were told.

He deeply doubted Araiya would be the one to change that.

(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)

Two weeks since the incident with the witch and Beacon Hills had yet to see another supernatural upset. It was a relief for Sheriff Stilinski, as it meant his trouble magnet son wasn't running around the town at night. Instead, Stiles had been safe and sound, glued to his computer just as a normal teen would. Before his awareness of werewolves, Sheriff Stilinski would have limited the teen from his research dives and encouraged him to go out into the world. Now, he would only give a sigh with fondness then check if the teen needed food.

Sheriff Stilinski was by no means foolish enough to discard the few miracles he was blessed with.

A frown settled on the Sheriff's lips as he contemplated the pros and cons of leaving Stiles to his researching. He had no idea just what the teenager was researching but it was clearly keeping him up at night.

He gave a heavy sigh and turned back to the paperwork spread out among his desk. He picked up his pen and did his best to focus, jotting down a few notes of interest as he read. He's not sure how long he'd been at it by the time Holly snapped him out of his trance.

"Sheriff, you have a phone call concerning the FBI," she warily informed him with concern in her eyes.

Sheriff Stilinski sagged at the reminder of another headache inducing feature in his life. Despite leaving town, Agent McCall was still vying to get him fired. He ignored his paperwork in favour of groaning into his hands and thanking Holly for letting him know. He mentally prepared himself best he could before answering the call.

"This is Sheriff Stilinski."

"What's this about an impeachment case against you?"

He felt his eyes widen and unknowingly released a breath of relief. After not seeing or hearing any word about her from the locals, He'd forgotten Araiya Black was back in town. As he grew comfortable, his apprehension regarding Araiya's return resurfaced. She may not have caused any trouble yet, but the Sheriff was no fool. He knew first-hand what trickster trouble making chaos a Black was capable of causing. How could he ever forget? He'd grown up with a Black after all.

"Do I want to know how you came across this information?" he drawled.

"I got a few connections. What do you say? I could have the case swept under the rugs and forgotten faster than they could shout Guilty."

He rolled his eyes at the offer but would be lying if he said he didn't seriously contemplate it.

"Impersonating the FBI is not a joke Araiya," he lightly scolded.

There was no actual anger in his voice and somehow he just knew she was smiling on the other end of the line.

"Doesn't make it any less fun or funny, chief," she snickered.

He relaxed into his chair and took her phone call as a sign from above to take a break.

"Still in town then? I had half a mind to think you skipped town again with how quiet the word is. No officers barging into my office, No reports of public chaos with you in the centre fold. You better be keeping your nose clean; knowing the Sheriff won't help you much if you get arrested this time around."

She laughed and the sound made him smile. Araiya as a 13 year old, had never been particularly light hearty. There had always been something about her that spoke of hardship and darkness. A heavy weight she always seemed to silently carry with her. He was glad to hear her laugh so lightly, as if some of that weight had been lifted. He'd never asked what it was, for he knew she would never tell. A Black always loved to keep their secrets. Still, he was glad and he hoped she hadn't faced too many problems sorting through Augusta's properties.

"You calling me a delinquent chief? Other than the occasional sneeze my nose is the cleanest thing you'll ever come across." She joked.

"I'm still in town. Good ole Jeff Morgan has been helping sort some stuff my Aunt left behind that wasn't making sense."

He frowned and grew suspiciously worried.

"Is the state still trying to lay claim to the house?" he asked.

"Not anymore. It was the first thing I sorted once I heard the word. Imagine the awe I felt at hearing Beacon Hills very own Sheriff Stilinski had been fighting the State all for my shady family's sake. You really are the Black Family's own secret Guardian," she fondly praised.

"Don't mention it kid. Seriously, don't. The Black Family doesn't owe me anything. Augusta was like family. You always gotta take care of family."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence which only broke when Araiya spoke. There was a strange tone in her voice as she spoke. Almost as if there was more behind the meaning of her words than he thought.

"You are Family, always have been, always will. The Black's and Stilinski's share way too deep a history for that not to be true."

Despite the strange tone, he brushed it off. Araiya was a lot like him. If not for those younger years of experience with a Black, he might have asked her what she meant. Sheriff Stilinski had learnt a long time ago that asking a Black to share their secrets was never worth the chaos that followed. He cleared his throat and changed the subject.

"Did you really need to say you were from the FBI?"

"Impersonating the FBI was completely necessary, chief. You have Heather-"

"Holly, her name is HOLLY."

"HEATHER working the desk. I just know she wouldn't have patched me through if she knew it was me."

"She wouldn't do that Araiya, because it's part of her job."

"If you say so chief," she snorted doubtfully.

He rolled his eyes and glared at the ceiling. Augusta must be laughing down at him from the afterlife.

"Anyway chief, I just wanted to let you know I'll be over at eight sharp for dinner. Does your boy have any allergies I need to know of?"

They idly chatted about what to expect for dinner before saying their goodbyes. He listened to the dial tone for a few extra seconds, staring at his wall; silently musing over their conversation.

He was grateful Araiya had been keeping out of trouble. A Black was a lot like an unpredictable storm of wild chaos. There was no telling when, where or what they were going to do. Augusta had been the same, just as he had been.

It was probably a family trait.

He shook himself from any further thoughts about the Black family. He instead turned back to his paperwork and tried to steady the excitement he felt for dinner. As his day continued, the Sheriff was filled with a sense of ease and comfort. Something all the officers noticed and couldn't help but mirror.

(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)

Derek relaxed into his sofa and replayed his encounter with the strange- No, she had given him her name.

Araiya.

Derek relaxed into his seat and replayed his encounter with Araiya.

She amused him- intrigued both him and his wolf.

She was a mystery, something that his curiosity refused to simply ignore.

Derek looked over the piece of paper in his hand. No matter how many times he reflected on their encounter, he couldn't pinpoint when she'd slipped it into his pockets. He smirked and let out a soft chuckle as he read over the shopping list on one side and the set of numbers on the other.

The literal urge to call her right then and there was unusual.

It was the only reason he was wary and hesitant.

The smirk on his lips morphed into a frown as he continued to think it over.

Derek could count the amount of women he once trusted on one hand. On the other hand, he could also count the same amount of times they brought him nothing but pain, despair and betrayal.

He was right to be cautious.

Right?

This time around, his wolf was unusually quiet which only confused him. Every other time, such as with Kate and Jennifer, his wolf had always been loud. Derek wasn't sure what to make of the silence. He contemplated the numbers again, before giving in and putting it into his phone. He saved it under her name. He stared at the screen for a few seconds then grew wary at the pleased purr his wolf gave. It unnerved him so he edited her name and instead left her listed as 'A'.

It was a small change but it made him feel less nervous about the situation.

He relaxed back into his seat and picked up a book to read as he waited for the pack to arrive.

It didn't stop him from feeling the pleased approval his wolf kept giving.


End file.
